Cleared to Land

Dear Readers, I would like to address the delay in releasing my blog. I married my best friend on June 5^th and priorities shifted. Oh, the change is good, but it is an adjustment, nonetheless. Our honeymoon was interrupted by double pink eye and laryngitis (My wedding vows were practically inaudible, thanks to end-of-year rowdy students). In July, we felt entitled to a redo, so we took a long road trip to Savannah, Georgia and visited my son in Jacksonville. The last few weeks were spent embarking on this new school year and going on a decluttering journey. Full Disclosure: I have barely made it to the first exit!

And now here we are at the end of summer with shocking news inundating the airwaves. This blog is my summer edition, so I am hitting it hard in one fell swoop. This is a season of graduation, teacher transition and sweltering heatwaves that span the globe. For many, it is also a time for travel. Since the month of May, I have felt impressed to write about landings. I can count the number of flights that I have taken on one hand, but a single experience is seared into my memory.

My nails dug into my father’s arm as we descended through a storm and prepared for a very rocky landing at Fort Lauderdale Airport. (We had just finished attending my niece’s graduation in Illinois—and fear was on the menu that day.) The dark clouds blocked my window view; it was better that way. In fact, I quickly pulled the shade. The shaking continued for what seemed like an eternity as the pilot’s voice invaded the space with authority and urgency. Every seat buckled at his warning and prayers were whispered throughout the cabin. The applause was deafening when we successfully landed due to the pilot’s skill and experience.

If you ask AI, "Cleared to land" is the term for granted permission from the control tower. When you are cleared to land, it means you are authorized to use the entire landing length of the runway, and you should disregard any holding position markings located on the runway. Most experts agree that landing is more critical and challenging than takeoff in aviation. While both phases involve unique challenges, landing presents more complexity and safety risks due to factors like weather, altitude, and the final approach. The control tower can see from an unobstructed 360-degree perspective even when the visibility from the cockpit is minimal.

Landings check all the boxes for risk such as increased incidence of accidents and the need for more complex maneuvering. Landings require that pilots have major training for turbulence. In addition, smooth landings require pilots to manage a greater number of factors, including altitude, speed, and angle of approach, to ensure a smooth and safe touchdown. Proximity to the ground means that there is very little time to make corrections if the position is wrong. Every. Second. Matters.

Likewise, reaching our destination (destiny) requires precision and intention. This past Sunday, the pastor emphasized the importance of prioritizing. He explained that to be successful in life, it is impossible to always invest equal energy in every role! We must be flexible, and our decisions must be purpose driven. As a teacher, (and now, as a wife) I realize that despite fatigue and burnout, it is critical to finish well and leave a mark, not merely a memory. People often retire from a career without a real passion—or plan—and they flounder aimlessly, often becoming depressed. The statistics do not bode well for those who idolize the landing while viewing the journey itself as a burden.

When God clears you for landing, there is nothing passive about that process. Your success is directly correlated to your obedience; you must land on the designated runway and lean in fully to your purpose. Sometimes, you must pivot on a dime to reach your potential. I dislike that! I am allergic to change and curveballs! And yet growth does not occur in a vacuum. Just ask a diamond if the pressure paid off! Ever since writing my devotional during the pandemic, six words tattooed themselves on my heart: Destiny waits just behind the turbulence.

My son recently wanted to try his hand in the sales and marketing sphere. There was a steep learning curve, and he embraced it fully, immersing himself in podcasts, books, and training. There are no shortcuts when it comes to landing well. One thing that I admire about my son is his attitude concerning work: He is searching for problems to solve and ways to “add value” to a company. He is just as invested in the process as the outcome. Some people become so concerned with achievements and goals that they limit their perspective, leading to frustration, tunnel vision and complete burnout.

Consider the all-too-familiar scenario of a public figure who starts off with the best intentions ready to save the world! Too often, though, the stress and expectations of the title collide with reality—And then? A very public fall from grace. As a new teacher, I remember cringing when first presented with a pacing guide. I found it confining and wondered why I could not just skip “non-essentials” and engage warp-speed at will. I had to learn through experience that the guide was created with the end in mind. When we consider the landing at the outset, we can relax more and enjoy the journey in the interim.

Protracted periods of suffering can exhaust us and tempt us to orchestrate a premature solution that may not be appropriate for our lives. Again, it is not enough to start well. Anyone can do that. Have you ever tried to “rush the landing” instead of allowing God’s perfect plan to come to fruition? I certainly have. Friend, you are called to finish well because it brings glory to God when you are steadfast; your legacy hinges on a successful landing. The details that we overlook really do matter.

Even the most celebrated gymnasts in the Olympics know that they must “stick the landing” and that ending well sometimes matters even more than their perfect technique throughout the whole routine. Mistakes can end a winning streak because critical points are lost, and the commentators will fixate on the flaw. Fatigue is a silent killer of destiny.

We must continue with fidelity, through frustration, even when no one is cheering. Move forward through the hopelessness and pain. Don’t allow fear to paralyze you. Make a decisive move towards destiny right now! Why should you circle the airport yet again when God has already cleared you to land? Elevate your strategy and impact your sphere of influence today!

Galatians 6:9 (AMPC)

And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.