When We Ask for Journey Mercies

Traveling by airplane these days is as easy and hassle-free as taking a bus or train. After keying in some personal details and with a few clicks of the mouse, all that’s left is to print the flight itinerary and you’re set to go!

Having to jet around frequently as part of my job, this is a cycle I go through numerous times and resultantly, think very little of it. Of recent reports on tragic airplane disasters and even one on an airplane which went missing, my response had been, “That’s terrible”, but the prevailing thought at the back of my mind was really, “That’s just an anomaly so there is nothing to worry about.”

On my most recent trip—which involved six separate flights and a total traveling time of almost 60 hours to and fro—one of my colleagues raised the question, “Do we thank God each time we arrive safely at our destination?” I think most of us do pray for journey mercies before embarking on our trips, but are we just as quick to give thanks when we do arrive safely at our destinations? I know that has not always been the case for me.

In John Denver’s song “Leaving on a Jetplane”, there is a line where the singer expresses uncertainty about when he’ll be back home again. It reminds us how unpredictable life is—we never know for sure whether we’ll reach our destinations safely. But the comfort we have is that our lives and everything that happens is in God’s hands. So whether you are a frequent flyer like me or are simply traveling this year-end to meet with family and friends, how about taking the time to thank God for journey mercies and the opportunity to spend time with loved ones!

Photo credit: Takoyaki_King / Foter / CC BY

About Ian Tan

Ian is a proponent of Steve Jobs’ fashion style — black t-shirt and jeans are all you need in your closet. While you would usually find him talking to people, he’s actually an introvert and his favorite colour is green. Staying behind his camera capturing the beauty of God’s creation is where he’s most comfortable. If push comes to shove, he would rather jump out of a plane than sit on a roller coaster. But when it comes to potato chips, you can always find a supporter in him. Anytime, anyplace.