Facing Our Fears: Bomb Scare in India

Written by Katherine J. Kehler

bombscare It was December and my husband, Marvin, and I, along with another couple, were on one of those “around the world in 10 days” trips. We’d been in the air for five days already and were feeling weary. I was eager to get home to complete my Christmas preparations.

We had been in Ethiopia and were on our way to meet friends in Bangalore, India. From there we were flying to Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau. Only five days left.

Notified of bomb threat

The plane was full of noisy travelers, or at least it seemed that way. Lack of sleep has a way of magnifying sounds. At some point I became aware that the flight attendants were whispering among themselves. They looked concerned. Shortly after, the pilot came on the public address system. Calmly, he announced, “Please pay careful attention. We have had a bomb threat on this plane.

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You must be calm. We will not taxi to the air terminal, but land at the far end of the airstrip. You will be taken to the terminal by bus.”

Prepared for the worst

The plane suddenly went very quiet. The incessant, loud chatter of our fellow passengers turned to silence. Everyone seemed deep in thought. My first thoughts were, “Well, Lord, maybe I’ll see You today. That would be wonderful!” I had such a calm and peaceful spirit–it didn’t seem normal, under the circumstances.

The secret to peace in a time of fear

Knowing I was in God’s hands, I felt no fear. In fact, great joy filled my heart thinking about the probability of seeing Him soon. What peace, perfect peace!

Elisabeth Elliot, a well-known author and speaker once told a group of women that the safest place a person can be is in the center of God’s will. I experienced this truth that day. We were certainly relieved when the bomb threat turned out to be a false alarm, but even during the time of wondering if the plane might be blown to bits, I felt safe. I was exactly where God wanted me to be.

Take a look at your life. How would you describe it? Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? For many of us it’s all of the above at times. There are things we dream of doing one day, there are things we wish we could forget. In the Bible, it says that Jesus came to make all things new. What would your life look like if you could start over with a clean slate?

Living with hope

If you are looking for peace, there is a way to balance your life. No one can be perfect, or have a perfect life. But every one of us has the opportunity to experience perfect grace through a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here’s a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.

Is this the life for you?

If you invited Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. As you learn more about your relationship with God, and how much He loves you, you’ll experience life to the fullest.