Why Delay Isn't Denial
Why Delay Isn’t Denial
“Flight 3497has been delayed to 1:15, we are sorry for the inconvenience; there is heavyair traffic at JFK.”
Myfrustration grew because this was the 3rd time they delayed myflight in the past hour. I was supposed to be in New York an hour before sothat I could catch my connecting flight to Morocco. This push back would haveme literally running to my international flight. Because of the inconvenience,Delta is providing snacks and juice. Although it did nothing to change the timeof our flight, I did partake in some juice and chips though.
Finally, weget on the flight. The pilot gets on the intercom and said, “There is stillheavy air traffic in New York so we have to wait on the runway for another 30mins, once again sorry for the inconvenience.” By this time, I am laughingbecause that is the only thing I can do to keep from crying at this point. Iresolve in my mind that I seriously may miss my international flight.
We finallytake off. I relax in my seat, count how much time I have to retrieve my luggageand get on my international flight, and I think I can make it if I cry at theTSA line. Suddenly, I feel some turbulence. I thought, “Not only am I delayed,but this plane has the nerve to struggle in air as well.” As I am complaining,I thought about how this frustration translates to my real life. How upset haveI been about delays because of the inconvenience even though it never actuallychanges my destination? I made my flight by the grace of God but there weremoments in that delay where I honestly did not think I would.
We have allexperienced delay in our lives -- whether it has been rejection from a job or aschool, failing a test we studied so hard for, waiting for financialbreakthrough, waiting to find true love, or simply just waiting to find peaceand joy in your journey. Whatever your story may be, sometimes those nos arephysical or you’re in delay so long that the no is clear, although notexplicitly said. People love to say that delay is not denial but the fact ofthe matter is: it feels like it. Ithurts when you get a no or you are forced to wait on something you think youdeserved or worked for.
However, themore I learn and grow into womanhood, I realize there is purpose even in delay.Even when it comes to actual flight delays, there are reasons behind the delay.Listed below are the reasons flights are delayed and how they can translate toour lives:
1.Maintenance problems with the aircraft
Mechanics are diagnosing the problem and accessing theirmanuals to best take care of it
God diagnoses the issues that are preventing us from embracing the plan.Maybe we have a problem with patience, pride, fear, worry, anxiety, or anyother self-sabotaging traits in us that need to be diagnosed before continuingthe journey. Don’t you know that God must do a work in you before he can do a work throughyou? Just like that plane, you cannot take off carrying that weight and expecta safe arrival.
2.Fueling
Having enough fuel and assuring its steady flow to its engineis so central to an aircraft’s operation
Often the journey is a test to see how much you can endure. Can youhandle it? Because if you cannot endure the trip to get there, what will you doonce you get to your destination? God is ensuring that you have what it takesto withstand not only the journey, but the intestinal fortitude to get throughyour destination as well.
3.Inclement Weather
Weather conditions cause a plane to be delayed at the placeof origin to make sure there aren’t too many planes in the air with no safe wayto land
Bad weather causes turbulence and while planes are meant to handle roughconditions, it may not always have a way to safely land. The process may be toomuch for you to handle at your current capacity, maybe you have not learned allof what you are equipped with. You do not realize that you are meant to pushthrough all types of storms. Because God guarantees a safe landing, he wouldrather delay you in the beginning to avoid the attempt to get you there on yourown merit. It is through his power and grace that you will eventually arrivedespite anything that comes your way in the journey.
4.Airline glitches
The IT systems malfunction which cause delays
Your internal hard drive is your mind. Yes, our mindset could definitelycause the delay. There is a constant battlefield in your mind and if you arenot careful, you could be preventing yourself from moving forward. We feelinconvenienced due to the timing not being on our regularly scheduledprogramming instead of trying to search ourselves to see if we are even readyfor all that we are asking for. Check your mind and make sure mentally you haveno strongholds stopping you from taking off.
5.Congestion in air traffic
Too many planes in air and on runway
Your destination is not prepared for you to land safely. Sometimes it’snot you, it is where you are going that is not quite ready for you. We serve anomniscient God who has a plan that includes not sold separately, his perfecttiming of your arrival, not a moment before or after.
6.Late arrival of the aircraft fromprevious flight
Previous delay affecting current flight
If you let it, your past can affect your current journey. There arethings in our past that we hold onto and it blinds the vision we have for whatwe are trying to do now. You may have been hurt and came to a decision in yourheart that there is no way you will ever be hurt like that. A dream may havebeen broken and you refuse to get in that position of hope again because thelast time pushed you into such a depressive state you did not think you wouldcome out of. Don’t you know that your fear of failure is blocking your currentblessing?
7.Security Issues
Security screenings could take a while as well as securitybreaches
Before we even get on a plane, we have to go through TSA. They have tocheck to make sure that whatever we are taking on the plane is not detrimentalto ourselves, others, and ultimately the flight. God does the same thing. He ischecking to make sure you do not carry anything on your journey that couldsabotage the plan.
8.Witnessing take offs for everybodyexcept you
While this is not a direct effect of a delay, it can add toyour frustration to see people at other gates boarding their plane when yourshas not yet arrived
How many of us have been patiently waiting, doing everything in our powerto get to the places we so desperately pray for but everyone else seems to betaking off but you? It makes you insecure and causes you to think, “Well maybethat dream is not for me or maybe I am not worthy of whatever I am seeking.” Comparison is the thief of joy. You areso worried about how others are doing it, you are not even paying attention tothe intangible ways you have changed in your journey and not even allowingyourself to be fully prepared in your waiting. Plus if everyone around you isgetting blessed, he is definitely in the neighborhood and if you would justtrust him you could be next!
I said all of that to say there is a reason behind your delay and thatreason could be a number of things; but as we see above, it is all preparationfor a safe arrival. It does not change due to the time you have to wait to getthere but you are meant to transform during your journey.
To anyone that is reading this, I say to you,
“Sorry for your inconvenience, youare STILL on your way to your destination. Trust the pilot and his plan to getyou there safely.”
By the way, Morocco was amazing and definitely worth the Delay :)
