"Terminal 2, Concourse F, Gate F4. That is it, I made it. I am at the right gate" I thought to myself as I found my way through the airport. Flying for the first time in 10 years, and being alone as I embarked, I was a bit intimidated with the idea of flying. But after asking airport personnel for reassurance, and continually checking my boarding pass, I was finally at peace knowing I had made it to the correct gate for my plane. But my ease soon ended. Double-checking the flight information board, my gate had changed. I speedily found the new gate and waited there. To make sure I was at the right gate, I checked another flight information board only to discover my flight had changed gates once again. I made my way to the new gate arriving just before the plane was scheduled to leave.
I looked at a woman next to me and asked, "What flight is this for?"
“It is for New York. What flight are you looking for?" She asked.
"I am heading to Boston and I had a gate change. This must not be the right one."
"You better hurry! It is the next gate over, but they just boarded and are about to leave."
I checked in with the flight attendant and was the last passenger on the plane. "This is it, I am on finally. I am on my way"—or I thought.
"Attention passengers," the voice from the speakers said, "please gather your belongings and exit the plane. We are very sorry but important maintenance must be done to the plane."
As we left the plane and waited by the boarding gate, passengers began to leave as hours passed by while waiting for the maintenance to finish. After hours on edge with the possibility of having our flight canceled, we eventually boarded the plane and left hours after our original departure time. However disgruntling this event may have been, the implications from it can be used as an analogy to look at life, our salvation through Christ, and our Christian walk with God.
Like the airport, life can be hectic, frustrating, and confusing in our daily events and personal struggles. Like my changing gates, difficulties will come that may throw us off course. We may feel right in our decisions, but situations change. No matter how secure we may feel, things will happen in life that will undermine what we had initiated and force us to develop a change of action.
Even through the frequent gate changes and plane maintenance, I still had peace that I was going to reach my destination. It may have been the next day or just hours after the original departure time, but I still knew one way or another I was going to get to Boston. This can be related to our salvation through Christ. God promises us salvation through Jesus Christ, who paid the price of sin, giving a ticket of admittance to Heaven if we accept it. Our ticket is not a literal one, but rather a spiritual one. When we accept Christ's gift of eternal life, we receive peace and assurance that there is more than this life. Difficulties will surely come, but by keeping faith, we will reach our final destination of Heaven.
Similar to how the flight information board served as a map that led me to the correct gate to make my flight, the Bible serves as our map for our Christian walk with God. Even through the difficulties and disappointments in life, God's Word will always serve as a map with directions for the correct choices in life. The Bible speaks to all the major issues of the present day, and it will continue doing so throughout time. Along with the major issues, the Bible gives practical advice for us as Christ's followers in our personal situations. That is why no matter the difficulty in life, we can always hold fast to God and His Word for us (Hebrews 10:23).
Regardless of the doubts and difficulties that both passengers and plane personnel had, we eventually boarded and made our flight. Some passengers left during the long wait and lost hope, but for the passengers who had enough faith to stay, we made our flight to Boston. When difficulties throw us off course and cause doubt, have faith in God that no matter the circumstance, we are not alone and in the end it will be for the better of us (Romans 8:28). Once we realize that, we can be sure of our salvation with God because we have complete trust in Him.
