This morning, my daughter, Anna, returns home after three weeks away. Anna and a friend led teams of writers in Spain and Morocco. She flies home today from Paris. In the image of my computer screen you can see the flight-tracking program I use that lets me watch the progress of Anna’s flight. Her aircraft is the little airplane icon depicted on the right side of the dotted flight path. Jan and I have always prayed our kids home whenever they are away.

As I watch Anna’s return flight progress, I thought of Jacob and the dream he had at Bethel about a stairway to heaven. During the dream, the Lord spoke to Jacob and said, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:15).

There are times we can feel alone in this life like someone flying in an aluminum cylinder 30,000 feet above the Earth through a dark night sky over a vast ocean. We are never alone in these alone times. God is watching over us no matter where we may travel in this life. He will stay with us on the journey and bring us back home because He is faithful to accomplish what He promised.