Patience: The Joys of Traveling

            So today I re-learned that God has a funny way of throwing a wrench into our plans.  Here I am geared up and ready to hop on my plane to Phoenix from Charlotte at 9:45pm, only to find my plane isn’t at the airport.  I ask the lady at the desk what the status of my flight is, to which she replies, “As of right now, your plane is still in Denver and should arrive here at 1:30am”.   Proverbs 16:9 comes to mind.   “The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”  Although this verse was not originally written about the perpetual problems experienced in airports, it still made me feel better about the misfortunes that had befallen me.  There is little to no point in stressing out about something so insignificant as a delayed flight. 

            My small amount of aggravation at the US Airways desk clerk quickly evaporated when I talked to the couple next to me.  A man and his pregnant wife are trying to get to Phoenix in time for a wedding are currently on “standby” status which means they currently don’t have a ticket and are waiting to see if a seat opens up.  They are more than likely going to have to stay in a hotel for the night.  To make matters worse, I overheard them speaking about the little amount of money left in their bank accounts and if they can afford to stay in a hotel at all.  I’m beginning to think they will be forced to stay in the airport for the night.

            This situation speaks to one of the phrases I try to live by: “There is always someone worse off than you.”  It is impossible to complain about your “stressful” situation when you think on those words.  I attempted to swap tickets with at least one of the people, but was unable to.  Although I seem to always have the worst luck with airlines, I thank God for the opportunities produced.  Every time I have been stuck waiting for a flight, I have struck up a conversation with a complete stranger that has impacted me in some way and, I hope, impacted the other person as well.  I have talked to retired military, active military, businessmen and women, mothers of 6, government weapons contractors, and newlyweds awaiting their first-born child.  It would be easy to put in the headphones and tune out the noise, but I have a hard time believing that is what Jesus would do.  I think he would have taken every opportunity to bless the people around him.  I hope that in some small way, I can do that as well.

            I’ve realized that when you ask God to teach you something, he’s more than willing to oblige that request.  I’m committed to being even more dedicated to my relationship with God this summer than my studies.  I asked God to begin teaching me new things immediately, but I didn’t think He would start THIS soon.


"The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." -Proverbs 16:9