THE DOVE - Mossley Parish - The Church of the Holy Spirit

The Dove
Things are not always what they seem.
The other morning I was with my elderly mother and much younger sister travelling to the funeral of an elderly relative in
Scotland. We had arrived at Aldergrove in good time for the early morning take-off. I had hired a car for the day. I was the driver
of the car, the organiser of the trip and boy, am I a natural leader! I arrived at the airport full of confidence that I could find my way
around with map or satnav on the other side; I could escort the other two with minimal effort and already had checked in online.
I had persuaded my wife to leave us to the Airport that morning. She was not even mildly annoyed at having to leave a
warm bed to have us there for 5.00 a.m. We were through security and waiting for the gate to be called when on searching my
pockets I found that I had forgotten my Driving Licence. So full of confidence was I that I knew exactly where I had left it. I
thought, this is not a problem. Phone Eileen and get her to come back to the Airport with my Driving Licence, I could even tell her
where I had left it. I rang Eileen`s mobile number. She had forgotten her phone. I rang the phone in the car. It was not turned on.
I rang home, my son is at home. You`ve guessed, no reply, still in bed, out to the world. By this stage I had approached three
Easyjet representatives. They were very pleasant girls full of smiles and apparently quite willing to help, but only to offer advice. If
I got my Driving Licence to the Airport they could not pass it to me, even if they were allowed to, there was no one free to do that. I
would have to leave the secure area of the airport and meet the person with the driving licence, check in again and pass through
security. Yes I should have time to do all this but only if I was quick.
By this time I was really starting to panic. I had been ringing various telephone numbers trying to get anyone to come to
the airport with my driving licence. I was fuming (cursing and swearing probably…but I cannot say that in a church magazine). I
had made an ass of myself and my arrangements and could not even get someone to help me. I was ready to …when the phone was
answered. It was my wife, she had arrived home. No cross word, no rebuke, “where is it, where did you leave it?” I will be there as
quick as I can. (It is a 20 minute drive from my home to the airport, if you are in a hurry).
One problem out of the way, back to my charges to let them know what was happening. I then go to security and explain.
They will let me out but I have to be escorted round the building. 5 then 10 minutes elapse as they find someone and I am escorted
round the building back to a few feet from where I started. Now I am out, I will have to wait for the Licence to arrive. I have a
brainwave, go to check in first and get my new boarding pass. I have to queue again but one of the girls at the Check in Desk remembers
me and smiles as she gives me the new pass.
“Have you got your Licence?” “No but it is coming.”
“You have not got much time, you should go straight to the plane through security, if there is a queue there you may not
make it.”
I go to the car park armed with the boarding pass and lo and behold my Driving Licence has just arrived. I grab it and run
to Security. At the entrance the chap there says he has seen me before and demands an explanation, “You better hurry!” Then into
the queue to be searched, take my coat and belt off. A couple in front are fussing about how to arrange their belongings in the boxes
for the X-Ray scanner. I slip past them and through security “praying” that I will not be singled out for closer inspection. Once
through I run to the gate noticing that the departure screen shows “Boarding – Last Call”. I arrive at the gate and find my two
charges nervously waiting either my arrival or having to board without me. We had no time for explanation or conversation before
being called to board.
Once on board, I grab a window seat in an empty row behind my two charges to calm down and gather my thoughts. A
few moments later we were airborne for the short flight. It had been a dull damp cloudy morning but within a few minutes we were
up and through the clouds into bright sunlight. I peered through the window my mind distracted by the very white clouds that had
looked such a different colour from the ground. They seemed to stretch for ever, the sun was behind the plane and the coloured rays
falling on the white clouds seemed to make no difference. They were whiter than white and appeared to stretch to eternity; at least,
further than I thought was the end of the world. Then suddenly below us I saw another plane like a small toy in the sky. Obviously
it was heading in to Belfast. Probably it has a couple of hundred people on board. I suddenly realized that you could have hundreds,
maybe thousands, of those planes in the space above the clouds.
My forgotten Driving Licence paled into insignificance. Who or what had created all of this was not worried about a tantrum
thrown by a more than middle-aged male who had forgotten something that mattered for only a few moments of his life. Did
God torment me by allowing me to get annoyed by forgetting my Driving Licence or did he use it to show me no matter how small
I was in the world and no matter how insignificant ,things could be put right for me? Yes, things are not always what they seem.
Guilty wicket
keepers are often
released on bail
You, O Lord are
a shield for me.
Psalm 3 v 3
Grow a palm tree
and make
new fronds
Page 6