Overcoming Fear

It was not long after we had arrived in Hong Kong when a tragic aircrash occurred. Hong Kong airport was notorious as a dangerous place to land. The pilot of the plane had misjudged the runway and the plane had plunged into the ocean. I watched the TV news and wept with the husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, expressing their grief over the loss of their loved ones. I had no idea, as I listened, the dramatic effect it would have on me.

Paul and I were due to fly out for ministry in a number of S.E. Asian areas. It would mean many flights. As we boarded the first flight, the moment I sat down, tightened my seat belt and the plane began to take off, an horrific fear hit me. I began to shake all over, hardly able to breathe, grasping tightly onto the seat. My imagination ran riot. I could see the crash. I could see the panic and the screams. I could see my mother and brother reading the headlines of the newspaper and finding my name on the list of victims. I was terrified. Paul prayed with me but still the fear gripped me. Once we were airborne I began to relax somewhat, but the moment we began to descend for landing, again the terror hit me. This was repeated every flight on that trip. I was so relieved when we finally got back to Hong Kong.

The experience was most troubling, not only to me personally but because I knew that our ministry was going to involve many flights. I knew I had to have an answer from the Lord. So I began to seek Him. As I prayed and read the Word my eyes fell on a wonderful promise in the Psalms and I knew it was the Lord speaking directly to my heart

.“The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore” Psalm 121:8. KJV.

A sense of peace filled my heart. I continued praying and reading, asking the Lord for one more promise. I turned my Bible to the book of Exodus and began to read the passage in chapter 19 relating the account of the Children of Israel at Mt Sinai. Suddenly verse four “leapt” out at me...

“...I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” (NIV)

It was such a clear promise to my heart. The Lord was going to be like "eagles’ wings" under the plane.

Soon the time came for us to travel again. I boarded the plane and sat down at the window seat which was directly over the wing. I could feel the fear beginning to rise. I looked out the window and I couldn’t believe what I saw. There, stamped on the wing, was a large picture of an eagle. I know it was the stamp of the brand of the engine of the plane but in all my travels I had never seen it before and I knew the Lord was using it to encourage my trust in Him. As the plane took off I reminded myself of the Lord’s promise that he would preserve my going out and my coming in, and I kept my eyes transfixed on that eagle.

"My faith is not in this plane or in the pilot", I said in my heart. "It is in You Lord. Thankyou for your 'eagle's wings' under this plane."

Every flight we took on that journey, and there were many, without any pre-arrangement I was seated at the window over the wing and on each flight there was the eagle. At the end of that missionary journey all my fear was gone and I have never had it since. On all the missionary journeys we have had since, I have sat many times at the window over the wing but not one time has the eagle-stamp been there. The Lord knows I no longer need it.

The experience had underlined for me the very important truth that, in every situation of life we face, we need to hear from the Lord and to stand on His Word.