Yesterday was the Blue Angels’ practice day. Today is the “real deal.” Exciting!
Via my handy dandy flight-tracking website, I zoomed in on the portion of the map where the air show would be … then I settled myself on the shady steps of my back deck to enjoy watching the performance in real time. (the things you do for entertainment when you’re old – Ha!)
The performance time arrived … all air traffic was re-routing around the performance area … but as of yet, there were no little airplane icons.
Then suddenly … there they are! Wheels up! The Blue Angels are in the air!
Taking off from Boeing Field, the Blue Angels flew up over Elliott Bay & downtown, then made a sweeping arc towards the east.
They’re heading my way! WhooHoo!
Usually at the start of every performance the Blue Angels make a broad sweep to the east (and subsequently directly over top of the area where I live) as they set up for their initial pass for the air show.
With great excitement I watched the little orange plane icons on the flight-tracker website inch closer and closer towards my area.
Sure enough, a few minutes later … “WHOOOOOOOSH!!” … there they go! They roared overhead about ½ mile or so west of my house.
I couldn’t see them because of the trees, but I have to admit, I was rather smug that I knew exactly when they would be “WHOOSH’ing” by. Usually I’m out there hoping and waiting and guessing. But this time I had watched them the whole way.
The air show was underway, and much to my delight the flight-tracking website was able to keep up with several of the planes this time. Yesterday, during the Blue Angles’ practice session, the flight-tracking website only had one little orange plane icon. But today it was actually recognizing multiple planes.
Here they come this way …
Here they go that way …
(The different colors indicate the different altitude levels: orange is the lowest altitude … yellow is the next level up at a slightly higher altitude.)
(Also, those two grey “ghost” planes are on the ground parked at Boeing field; they aren’t actually in the air.)
As the little orange & yellow plane icons were doing their thing for the air show … all of a sudden! … Oh no! … an orange (likewise low altitude) helicopter is coming into the airspace from the left.
Oh no!! It can’t do that!
Ok I know it’s probably a life-flight helicopter … and that’s super important. And it’s probably bringing some poor patient in to the hospital in downtown. And that’s super important and all. But that’s right in the airspace where the Blue Angels have just been flying at breakneck speed!
Oh no!!
Sitting on the shady steps of my back deck, far removed from the location and what was actually happening, I was having a mini-freak-out session. I was freaking out about something that might happen in a place where I’m not even at. If I was downtown at the air show, I would have no idea a helicopter was “sneaking in” quickly during a “gap.”
Obviously, someone somewhere was in control.
Obviously, someone somewhere was making the call to the different aircraft about when it would be safe for the helicopter to “sneak in” during a “gap.”
And as you can see, the moment when the helicopter “sneaked in” to downtown during a “gap” it just so happened to be the moment when the Blue Angels weren’t anywhere near that area. In fact, one of the Blue Angels had gone so high in altitude it had turned green in color, then a second later it turned to a pale blue (even higher altitude) … and the other Blue Angel planes were way down at the other end of the performance area.
Someone somewhere was in control of it all.
Someone somewhere was making the calls.
It wasn’t 5 minutes later and another similar thing happened again! A large commercial airline flight crossed directly over top of the performance zone.
What is that plane doing?! Is that plane crazy?!
Once more I was having a mini-freak-out session out on my back deck … glued to my phone as if it was some sort of action-adventure movie.
The Blue Angels fly super high! They might go blazing directly upwards and crash into that plane!!
But no. Calm down.
Take a second look.
Someone somewhere is making the calls. This is likewise a “gap” just like the one the helicopter had sneaked through. The commercial airline flight is purple (super high altitude) … whereas the Blue Angels are down below at orange (lowest altitude) … yellow (little bit higher) … and yellowish-green (just a tiny bit higher).
It’s ok. It’s really all ok.
Someone somewhere is in control. Someone somewhere is making the call to the different airplanes.
Someone somewhere is orchestrating the whole thing.
It’s really ok. There’s nothing to freak out about.
If I were a spectator down on the ground at the air show, I would have no idea whatsoever about what air traffic is in the vicinity. I would stand there “oooo’ing’ and “aaaahhhh’ing” as the Blue Angels roar overhead … all the while having no idea that just up there beyond my sight a commercial flight is “sneaking past.”
There’s no reason whatsoever for me to “freak out.”
Someone who is highly qualified and highly skilled has everything under control.
A few minutes later … it happened again! This time I didn’t “freak out” … but rather I was fascinated to find myself being “judgy.”
“How dare that plane sneak through the performance zone like that.”
“Doesn’t that plane know the Blue Angels are flying in this air space right now?? The nerve. That plane could totally go around. There’s no reason that plane couldn’t have detoured just the slightest bit to the west to get out of their way. But noooo … it had to fly straight through!”
Someone somewhere was in control. And someone somewhere had obviously given that plane permission to fly that course directly through the performance zone.
Who was I to judge?
I know nothing about flying. It’s none of my business. I’m not even anywhere near the vicinity.
Yet I sit on the shady steps of my back deck, far removed from the whole thing … judging as if I know it all and as if I were somehow in control.
Isn’t this what we do when it comes to life. This is totally what we do when it comes to life.
We pull up things on our phone and we “watch the action.”
Then sitting comfortably in our own place, far removed from what is going on, we make determinations about the situation. We “freak out”! How dare such-and-such be happening! The nerve!
We totally “freak out”!
Or else … we get all judgy. How dare such-and-such be happening! Surely we know better. Surely they don’t.
When it comes to life itself … someone somewhere is in control. And that someone is God. God is in control.
When it comes to life itself … someone somewhere is making the calls about what is happening. And that someone is God.
When things happen which we don’t understand or which frighten us … God is in complete control.
“For by him [Jesus Christ] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” – Colossians 1:16-17
“God has placed all things under his [Jesus’] feet.” – Ephesians 1:22
“Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.” – Psalm 27:3
“I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands.” – Psalm 31:14-15
“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” – Psalm 27:13-14
