Catching up with the news!

A lot has happened the last two weeks. The engine I have been working on is off the stand, preserved, packaged for shipping and awaiting final paperwork! It has been quite an experience and I am grateful to God for allowing me to be part of it and grateful for the amazing patience of Ray Brubaker, my supervisor, for guiding me step by step through the whole process.

Work wise, I am on to other tasks until the next big project comes along. I don't know what that might be yet, but for now I am involved in an annual inspection on Helio serial number 1 getting it ready to go to the Oshkosh air event. Right now, another one of the interns and I are knee deep into overhauling the magnetos (the things that make the spark plugs light up at just the right time). They are very small components, but are somewhat involved for an overhaul. Especially when everything isn't just perfect! (Which seldom is the case on a 50+ year old airplane.)

Josh and I had a guys day out last Saturday. We put our bikes in the shop for some routine maintenance and got the bearings all lubed up, the brakes adjusted and the gear shifters working right. We then went our riding on the trails behind the JAARS center. We packed lunches and planned to make a full day of it.

After about a half an hour of riding, Josh wanted to stop for a rest. So we stopped and ate our sandwiches and took a little break. As we started up again, Josh was increasingly upset and asked to go home. So we cut the trip short and went home. I didn't realize what the problem was until much later in the day, and learned a very important lesson about faith in God.

Josh was concerned about getting lost. Apparently, he has failed to realize just what type of environment I grew up in and how impossible it is to get lost when the woods you are in are completely surrounded by familiar roads. In any regard, he was concerned. As the trail got more and more narrow, and as the woods got denser, he was convinced we might never see home again. A small tree had fallen across the path, and he was sure that the trail just ended there. I moved the tree, showed him the trail and kept going.

The further we went, the more lost Josh thought we were. There were airplanes flying that day and judging from the sound, we had gone in a big circle and were actually getting closer to home the further we moved forward. I was convinced of this, and explained it to him, but he doubted. Of course, we came out of the trail right where we had started and he was quite surprised. Later, after getting home, he apologized for doubting and said he would be willing to go again.

It struck me how just like that I am with trusting God to lead. He knows the path, and he knows it gets narrower and he knows the obstacles and how to clear them. But I, like Josh, loose faith in his ability to lead. I loose sight of the path for the obstacles that seemingly are impossible to overcome. He knows just where the path will come out and yet I doubt. I am sure that I am lost and God has left me. I just want to go home where things are comfortable and miss out on the fellowship that God planned for me.

Thanks, Josh, for teaching me a lesson and thanks, God for being ever so patient with me. (Much more so than I am patient with Josh!)

The kids only have a few more days of school before summer vacation, Hooray!