Turbulence


I am sitting on an airplane with my husband and children, anticipating a few days of family time between school and camp.

The pilot clears his voice and asks that we listen carefully to his announcement.

“We were just informed that we will be landing in severe weather conditions. There is currently a terrible lightning storm at the airport. So now, we will be unable to deplane until the storm is over. I thank you for your patience.”

We look at each other amidst the awful turbulence. As we land on the runway, brilliant cracks of lightning illuminate the sky. Hard droplets of rain pound the airplane’s windows. Somehow, even the crying infants are now silent. Everyone is waiting.

The air on board begins to get hot. There is no break outside, large rumbles of thunder fill the air.

“How much longer, Mommy?” the children ask, over and over again.

“I don’t know,” I reply. “Only G-d knows.”

We are left to mull over our own thoughts. I wonder to myself how Noah managed to last for 40 days on the ark with all those many animals. It’s been only an hour.

A thought pops into my mind. There are times in life that we feel as if we are landing in a storm. Severe conditions threaten our horizon. There is nothing to do- except wait.

I am reminded of a woman who recently told me that her teenaged daughter woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and realized that she had acquired a distressing tick. No matter what she did, she could not stop the movement in her eye. Countless specialists have been unable to help her. Each week she seeks yet another remedy. After trying yet another new medication, she is again holding her breath, waiting for results that will finally bring healing.

“Well”, I asked the mother, “What do you think? Is it working?”

“It’s like watching a blade of grass grow,” she replied. “Who knows?”

Sometimes, we need to wait out the storm. We need to just sit tight, let the rain pound on, watch the lightning illuminate the sky, and pray. Conditions change. Hope spurs us on.

Suddenly the sun appears through the clouds. Bright rays of light shine through the plane’s windows.

“You may begin to gather your things and disembark.” The long awaited for announcement was made.

We smile and leave to face the sunshine.