The Helicopter

Early one spring morning, long before dawn, I awoke to a loud, roaring noise close by that didn’t go away. It sounded as if it was circling above our street. While waiting for the noise to stop, I wondered why my husband didn’t wake up.

Living on Howell Mountain above the Napa Valley is a unique experience. Vineyards surround us, and we are the envy of visiting friends and family who view our area as a beautiful, peaceful retreat from city life.

So what’s with this noise I hear?

The only sound I could think of in the middle of the night would be that of a helicopter flying a patient to the local hospital. Helicopter! That’s it. The helicopter pilot must be in trouble and looking for a place to land, or maybe he can’t find the hospital. Perhaps he is lost.

The longer the droning helicopter circled, the more worried I became. What might I do to help? Maybe I could find a phone number and call the small college airport nearby, but would anyone be there to answer the phone? Or, maybe I should call 911 and at least report this situation to the police! Should I wake up Al? No, he needs his sleep.

After a couple of hours of “problem solving,” I decided that by now, the helicopter must be running out of fuel. What if it crashes in a vineyard or on a house? My anxiety level was rising like a space shuttle. Out of pure exhaustion and the frustration of not knowing what to do, I fell into a deep sleep.

In the morning, I awoke to a comforting silence. My first thought was, What happened to the helicopter?

My husband was in the kitchen eating breakfast, so I sauntered in and asked, “Did you hear the helicopter circling us for hours last night?”

“You mean the motors of the big fans in the vineyards? Yes, I heard them.” Do you worry unnecessarily? Remember to “cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7, NIV).

Donna J. Voth