I've Looked at Clouds from Both Sides Now

As I've been getting more experience flying in bush planes, or air taxis, I've learned some interesting things.

Bush planes come in various models, some can fly faster than others.  Bush pilots seem to each have their own style as to how they fly. As I've been flying in inclimate weather,  I've witnessed 3 approaches: to fly through the clouds, to fly above the clouds, and to fly under the clouds.

On the first trip out to the coast last week, the pilot took the pea soup approach.  We flew in heavy cloud cover all the way as I anxiously peered at the gps real time tracking screen.

Then, returning to Bethel,  I was on a smaller plane that adopted the cropduster style.  We flew the whole way underneath the cloud cover.  It was strange to me that we stayed so low to the ground, but the views were great.

So, I'm surprised at how comfortable I've gotten at hurdling through space in all kinds of wild weather and visibility!  But, the tragic crash of the teachers heading for Anvik was sobering to say the least.  (Plane encountered white out conditions and hit the side of a mountain, killing the pilot & a teacher.  The first year teachers and their children were injured, but survived.)

Lulled into a false sense of security by successful flights, I'm sure that I will be more thankful next time I fly for the journey mercies.

"No man can walk out of his own story." -Spirit of the West in "Rango"

Tonight some of the teachers had a girl's movie night and we watched the movie "Rango"... Netflix is great for those of us out in the middle of no-where! If you aren't familiar with the movie, it's an animated western, here's the blurb for it:

     "Rango is a sheltered chameleon living as an ordinary family pet, while facing a major identity crisis. After all, how high can you aim when your whole purpose in life is to blend in? When Rango accidentally winds up in the gritty, gun-slinging town of Dirt - a lawless outpost populated by the desert's most wily and whimsical creatures - the less-than-courageous lizard suddenly finds he stands out." 

Rango has a comfortable life living in a glass aquarium until that safe world is shattered on the highway, leaving him to navigate the dangerous and scary desert. When I saw that tank get bumped off the moving truck and shatter everywhere, leaving the chameleon lying stunned, I instantly thought what an apt metaphor that is for my life at the moment!

So, here I am, rather stunned at the endeavor before me this school year. I have 18 precious fifth graders with a wide range of needs entrusted to my care for this year. It is a daunting task, and at times I've found myself looking around, wild-eyed, hoping to somehow find a protected glass world. In lieu of that, I've crawled "under His wings" and am trusting that the Lord will equip me for this assignment.   It's a good place to be.

I'm sorry to be so scarce, hopefully my internet situation will improve! Oh, and fyi, although I enjoyed the movie, I wouldn't recommend it as family viewing, check it out online before renting it for kids.