Not Quite Ready for Takeoff
"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him." — Psalm 37:7
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about travel and my constant longing for it.
I didn’t always love flying. But now, I can’t seem to get enough of it — the movement, the anticipation, the feeling that somewhere new is waiting just beyond the clouds. I even love the chaos of the airport (call me crazy, I know).
Ironically, my least favorite part of flying is not the turbulence or the cramped seats. It’s the waiting.
The sitting at the gate.
The idling on the runway.
The long pause before takeoff when everything feels still.
And don’t even get me started on waiting to deplane at the destination (there MUST be a more efficient way to do this).
However, I’ve realized life looks a lot like that.
I am often either looking back — longing for places I’ve already been, replaying memories I wish I could revisit — or looking ahead, wondering where my wheels will land next. I am constantly preparing for the next adventure, the next season, the next chapter — whether I am conscious of it or not.
Always ready to take off. To get off the plane.
But what I often forget is that the waiting period is one of the most important parts of the journey.
Before a plane ever leaves the ground, there is preparation happening behind the scenes. Fuel is replenished. Luggage is loaded. Supplies are restocked. In colder temperatures, the wings are sprayed and cleared of ice so that nothing dangerous clings to them when it’s finally time to rise.
The pilot boards the aircraft, checks the coordinates, and communicates with the people in the tower — the ones who can see the bigger picture from above.
Only then is the plane prepared for takeoff.
And during this same waiting period, people come and go.
Some passengers step off because that destination was as far as their ticket took them. Others remain onboard because they are meant to continue the journey. And some people board for the very first time, settling into the seats beside us for however long their path overlaps with ours.
Life is so much like this.
As someone who always feels ready for what’s next, I often miss the significance of simply being still long enough to be prepared.
I forget that my soul needs replenishing too.
That my wings need tending.
That sometimes God is clearing away things I cannot carry into the next season.
I forget that the Pilot must come aboard and set the coordinates.
And sometimes, part of preparation means allowing certain people to depart. Not everyone is meant to stay for the entire journey. Some people are only with us for one flight — and that is okay.
Sometimes we don’t need everything for the next journey. Some trips require several checked bags while others only a simple carry-on. We must acquire or leave behind what is necessary for the next.
The waiting period is not wasted time.
It is holy preparation.
It is the space where God refuels us, refines us, protects us, and prepares us for where He is taking us next — whether we recognize it in the moment or not.
So often, we beg for takeoff while God is still preparing the aircraft.
But the truth is, a rushed departure can be dangerous. The waiting serves a purpose.
Maybe the season you are in right now feels slow. Maybe you feel parked at the gate while everyone else seems to be taking off around you. Maybe you are looking around, calling up the flight attendants, and asking “what is the delay?” or “how much longer?”
But perhaps God is doing His most important work there on the runway.
Preparing you.
Protecting you.
Positioning you for what comes next.
Don’t miss the waiting period.
Most of the time, it is the most crucial part of the journey.
@bytaylormcgee
