What happens when you blindfold someone and then ask them to walk in a straight line? Exactly the opposite thing. To see what I mean, have a look at NPR’s blog post on the matter. There have been several studies on the matter and only in situations where the blindfolded subject can feel the sun’s rays on them, could a straight line been maintained (see the yellow line in the picture below).
This is what I was thinking about last weekend when Laura and I were trying out my newly earned instrument rating by flying to my parents hometown (Winterset, IA) some 100 miles from Omaha. We’ve been dealing with what feels like several weeks of clouds and rain, which are perfect for instrument flying, as long as there are no thunderstorms. I’ve heard that thunderstorms are a thrill you may only experience once.
When we took off from Millard (KMLE), I could see a thick layer of clouds ahead of me. It wasn’t long and we were flying into a thick blanket of fluffiness. In following minutes, transitioning from seeing the ground out my window to seeing nothing but the inside of a pillow out my window, I realized that this is the same feeling as the blindfolded subjects experience when trying to walk a straight line.
Until I got into the grove of things, it was a bit topsy-turvy in the ol’ Cessna 182. Keeping a close eye on my turn coordinator, what my body was telling me was straight and level flight was actually about a 30 degree bank to the right. Surely without my gauges, my wife and I would have soon been spiraling to the ground.
We all need something to keep us going in the right direction. For the blindfolded subjects, traveling on two feet, it’s the sun beating against their left or right side that helps them keep a straight line. For pilots flying through clouds, it’s the compass, turn coordinator, and the artificial horizon indicator that guide us.
It got me thinking about life in general. What guides us? Where does our direction come from? I’ve learned that I need to rely on Jesus’ guidance and his word. Psalm 119:105 in the Bible says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
For me, I have a tendency to start veering off to the left or to the right without even realizing it. I’ve set goals of where I want to be but then abandoned them for an easier path. Or worse yet, I’ve had times where I haven’t even given much thought to where God wants me to be or what he wants me to do and just went wherever the wind blew me.
I don’t know what my immediate future holds but I do know that because he sent his Son to die for my shortcomings, failures and misguided attempts to direct my own path, I’m going to be with him when I die. Having God’s word as a guide gives me direction on how I should be flying this earthly vessel. I just want you all to know about what Jesus did for you. No matter what spiraled path you’ve taken or how many times you’ve gotten lost in the clouds, Jesus is seeking you out and wants to show you a way out.
Laura and I finished our flight last weekend having flown the entire route through a cloud layer. Thankfully, all systems worked properly and it wasn’t long that we descended through the clouds when Laura said that she could see the light runway. Shortly after landing, as we were unloading the plane, I heard thunder in the distance. What a relief that was that we made it to the ground safely!
kenluckinbill 