The lines at JFK International Airport seemed endless at 6:30 AM the morning of my flight. The couple directly ahead of me was holding a screaming child and I internally debated if offering a lollypop would be appreciated or perceived as creepy. Finally, at 7:45 I was through security and running like mad, shoelaces untied, to my gate.
I missed my flight.
After the initial shock wore off, my mind went to work. I had a few theories as to why Hashem didn’t want me on that flight. The top 3:
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That flight was going to crash.
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That flight would somehow end up in Kazakhstan instead of Las Vegas.
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My seat on that flight was next to a snoring hippie (I’m allergic to those).
An immature understanding of Bitachon might have fit in to that train of thought, but after a few minutes of this futile exercise the pages of Chovos Halevavos and other Sifrei Emunah came to mind.
True Bitachon isn’t believing that if we look hard enough, we will find that perfect fairy-tale ending. It’s knowing that Hashem has always, is right now, and will always be taking expert care of you, regardless if we understand the plot or not. It doesn’t matter why I missed that flight.
What matters is that He is in charge, and that’s all I need to know.