Strong Arms

See the Navy crewman in the open side door of the helicopter?
He’s my best friend in the whole wide world!
He’s operating a winch that pulls me up, up to the open door
so that he can reach out, turn me facing away from the  door,
wrap his arms around my waist and pull me into the helo.
My best friend.

When I look again at this picture, I think of how often we feel
like life is just hanging by a thread; in this case, a metal cable.
Seems like what little control I used to have is gone and
I am entirely dependent on circumstances.  That’s not a fun
place to be.

High on my list of “the best feeling in the world” is the crewman’s
arms circling my waist after I’ve been dangling between the
deck of the moving ship and the turbulence of the helo.
Knowing that strong arms are holding me is a
great sensation.  I trust him.  He holds my life
when he pulls me up and when he pushes me
out the door as we hover over the next
ship I visit.
Trust.

People who follow the Way of Jesus understand
that trust in the Abiding Presence is essential
to spiritual health.  Radical vulnerability is frightening,
until, in faith, the arms embrace you and
courage returns.  Trust can be difficult in a very untrusting world,
but these are the days we need it most.