Landing is Mandatory

I was thinking this morning..... about the imperative of landing safely. Last Friday, I read again a joke that has been around for a while now. It talks about an Aeroplane cleaner that was cleaning the Pilot's cockpit, when he saw a book titled, "HOW TO FLY AN AEROPLANE FOR BEGINNERS (Volume 1). He opened the first (1st) page which said: 'To start the engine, press the red button.' He did so, and the airplane engine started. He was happy and opened the next page. 'To get the airplane moving, press the blue button.' He did so, and the plane started moving at an amazing speed. He wanted to fly, so he opened the third (3rd) page which said: 'To let the airplane fly, please press the green button.' He did so and the plane started to fly. He was excited. After twenty (20) minutes of flying, he was satisfied, and wanted to land, so he decided to go to the fourth (4th) page and page four (4) says; 'To be able to know how to land a plane, please purchase Volume 2 at the nearest book shop!' The joke ended with the information 'He will be buried tomorrow.'

As I smiled at the joke, the closing words of my colleague in charge of Aviation, while giving safety tips to leaders recently came alive in my head. He had said 'When it comes to flying, taking-off is optional but landing is mandatory.' Hmm! You can decide to keep moving the plane on the runway and not take-off, but once you are airborne, you must land, because no creature was made to live permanently in the air, not even birds. His point was that before taking off, all that is required for safe landing must be considered and put in place.

Many people have taken off in business, career and education of their children, but are challenged with how to land, because they had not thought it through before they started. In my years of travelling around the world, I have met too many Nigerians that have left thriving careers and business in Nigeria due to temporary uncertainty and 'ported' to Yankee. They enjoyed the initial flight but suddenly realised that they have to land sometime and don't know how. It may seem they are on cruise control, but really, they are at a loss as to how they will land. 'Taking-off is optional but landing is mandatory.' 

Only recently, I received an email from my children school of a 30% increase in fees from next session and wondered how many parents will cope. Won't this increase cause the educational flight of some children to crash land? I imagined. I must at this time begin to adjust. As schools are closing for the session and plans are being made for summer holidays, remember that September is only two months away where another round of school fees will be demanded. Plan now so you won't go a borrowing in September. Remember, Taking-off is optional but landing is mandatory. 

If you think about it closely, you will agree that the question really is not about landing because everything in the air will land, but whether it lands safely and in one piece. No wonder Philippians 1:6 says 'For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.'

Happy Sunday. 

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey.