You never know what a day may bring

As a missionary pilot/mechanic there are many things that can change the plans you had for that day, including someone in your family with appendicitis, all day power outages, a good friend needing council, etc. This particular morning, I was enjoying my first cup of coffee and Bible word study when my cell phone told me I had a message. It was still an hour before sunrise when I got the report that a tribal guy had a gunshot wound to the leg and needed to be flown out to the hospital ASAP. So, I skipped shaving and breakfast, went directly to the hangar and scrambled the helicopter and supplies and got airborne. By the time we got there the bleeding was under control and the patient, although in quite a bit of pain, was stable.

I really like doing medivac flights. The missionaries only call us when it is beyond their ability to help. We know it’s the fastest way out of the jungle and has the potential to save lives. We consider it a privilege to help in these situations, but honestly, I do struggle with the changes it brings to an already busy day. By the time we returned to home base, got the patient to the hospital, post-flighted the helicopter, and did the paperwork, half of my day was gone.

This is not uncommon at all. That I cannot fulfill my plan for the day can tend to frustrate me, except I am reminded that God is the One who orchestrates each day and allows me to be a part of His plans. “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Prov 16:9

This helps me embrace the saying that is true of our ministry, “You never know what a day may bring”.