As the flight to Bahir Dar was about to take off on Saturday, the captain spoke into the microphone apologetically: "One of the hydraulic pumps had stopped. We will fix the problem and resume our flight." As we waited for an hour or so in the plane all sorts of thoughts bounced on my mind. With my daughters sitting by me, I toyed with negative constructions on the circumstantial imaginative ride. But it dawned on me right away that God's "plans" with "hope and a future" (Jer 29:11) are far more enduring than my concerns. No problem can go bigger or higher than God's intention for us. In a purposeful journey, bumpy roads aren't dangers, but speed breaks.