He was ready and waiting.
And we were off to the airport. We chatted on our 45(ish)-minute drive there. There was little traffic. We made great time. And Dad arrived with an hour to spare (...or so he thought). We had planned everything out ahead of time. We made sure we both understand what time we'd leave. We left on-time. Everything seemed organized and good-to-go.
But then he tried to check-in at the airport.
His flight had already left.
His flight that was scheduled to depart at 11:30 AM...took flight at 10:30 AM...just as we were arriving at the airport. Ugh. What a feeling of helplessness. And what feelings of frustration...towards himself maybe because he should have checked his flight one last time or called ahead of time to confirm, etc. And towards the airline, too.
The point of my story is not who was wrong or who was to blame. My point is that my Dad felt so bummed that he missed the timing of his flight's departure. He thought he had every single detail lined up, planned out.
But some things are just out of our control.
Life's funny that way.
For a person like me, I like to plan ahead. Think things through. Finalize details. Kinda like my Dad did in this story. But just like his story, sometimes we just don't have the control we think we have over our lives. We can do everything that's humanly possible...and still not obtain our goal. Still not arrive on-time. Still disappoint, frustrate, and feel helpless.
And I'm learning more and more that that's okay.
Life's not meant to be totally calculated and well-thought out...at least not all of the time. It's just not healthy. It's just not a realistic possibility. The more I try to control...the more I can sometimes feel like I'm in less control. And really...it's not about me. It's about God in me and through me...using me JUST how He wants to. That can be a really different...really strange...way of thinking. Why would I let God control my life? Why would I want to? Turn power and control over to this thing, this being that we can't see? It's a strange concept. But I can tell you from experience, that the more I turn my life over to God, the richer my life is becoming.
The more I let Him use me...let Him challenge me...the more I'm able to see things through His eyes. It starts to make more sense. And, you'd think that because I like to be in control that I wouldn't like God controlling me. But it doesn't feel that way. I still make mistakes. Still have choices. Still frustrate myself and others. And through it all, I can feel and know that He still loves me. He still accepts me. And still wants to use me. For His purpose. For His glory.
So, what am I taking away from my Dad's missed flight this morning? A couple of things. A couple of good reminders:
(1) Don't sweat the small stuff. It's just not worth it. Not worth the stress and anxiety.
(2) Try not to get frustrated by these moments of straight-up inconvenience (like missing a flight, arriving at your destination late, and having quite a bit of time to do a lot of nothing while waiting at another airport for a lay-over). How can I be used in these moments of straight-up inconvenience to reach out to others, relax and rejuvenate myself, or take a risk to help a stranger?
(3) Be intentional about being thankful in these inconvenient moments. Because often, they happen for a reason. Even when we do know or understand why at the time.
I've still got a LOT to learn. Trust me. But I love how a situation like this one from this morning can be used to make me think, re-evaluate, and stretch myself to learn or try something new.
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