The first five hours were uneventful. It was a clear evening without a cloud in the sky, and I was anxiously anticipating spending Shavuos with my Mom and Dad.

The pilot ordered us to buckle our seat belts, stow away our tray tables and return our seats to an upright position. Just as I snapped the seat belt buckle, a vibration shook the entire plane. Our 'uneventful flight' suddenly turned into a terrifying encounter! A more violent shock wave struck the plane with horrifying force. A palpable fear invaded the cabin. Looking out the window we saw how the clear sky had turned into a tumultuous tower of storm clouds!

The plane rolled up and down like a roller coaster and sideways like a salmon swimming upstream. We felt like the plane was out of the pilot's control, and terror swept through us like a raging river.

People were crying, praying and sobbing as we tossed about like a paper airplane in a hurricane. The woman seated next to me was sobbing in terrifying wails. I prayed to G-d to deliver us to safety, quickly reciting every Hebrew prayer I knew. I said the Shema and parts of the Amida I remembered, and even moved on to the blessing for Chanukah candles!

Just as it appeared we were going to crash, the pilot regained control and pointed the aircraft nose straight up and we took off like an arrow shot upward from a bow. The plane literally screamed as it climbed up to the hope of calmer skies. At that moment when it appeared the plane couldn't take any more, we smashed through the storm into calm. The terror was over and we were safe.

We all sighed with relief, and applause erupted in the cabin. We were safe and alive! We walked from the plane into the arms of our tense but loving families. The nightmare was over.

During the ride to my parent's home in Connecticut I reflected on our reaction during the worst. Each passenger pleaded with G-d to spare his/her life. Promises and oaths of future good behavior were made. At that one terrifying moment, G-d was real to us. For three horrible minutes we knew in our hearts only one force in the universe could save us.

It wasn't the pilot, the air traffic controller or the Boeing engineer who designed the plane. Only G-d could deliver us from imminent danger.

Yet as soon as we touched down and the danger was over, I bet the majority of the passengers tucked their faith back into the inner recesses of their minds. Like a comfortable old sweater they only take out on cold, blustery days, they stored their faith back in the closet until the next time they'd need it.

I wondered. Should G-d be there just 'in case of Emergency?' Even under normal and routine circumstances, each day gives us so many new opportunities to thank G-d for His gifts and blessings. It's a shame we don't learn to appreciate G-d in regular times, and wait until we're in danger to acknowledge His presence and impact on our lives.

Why go through a terrifying experience to find G-d when He is always available to us? That absolute, unconditional, unshakable faith empowers us to face the challenges of life without a sudden jolt and rude awakening.

By doing Mitzvot daily, we build, bit by bit, a tower of faith to guide us through life. Like a lucrative investment, the Mitzvah we perform today pays huge dividends in the long term. It's a great investment that money can't buy.