Enjoying The Ride

Where are you going?  Do you know the direction you are headed?  Do you have a plan?  We recently went on Vacation and well…..we had a plan, knew where we were going and what direction we were headed.  BUT, let’s just say along the way things got a little messed up!

Our trip plan was to leave from Maine, change plans in Washington DC then arrive in Nevada.  It all started out as planned until it was time to land in Washington DC.  The airport had requested that our plane circle for a bit due to a low cloud ceiling that had caused delays in departures and arrivals, and backed everything up at that airport.  Unfortunately, our plane did not have enough fuel for this so we were rerouted to Richmond, Virginia to land. (Which I think was a wise decision considering the other option!!)   No sooner did they announce that when the plan had changed again. Due to the back up in Washington DC and the rerouting, it was backing everything up in Richmond, Virginia. So, they said we would be landing in Norfolk, Virginia instead.  They stated we would land there, get fuel and take off again to head back to Washington DC.  Well, during the landing process the announcement came that there would be a 2 hour delay and that we could get off the plane, stretch and plan to board the plane again in 2 hours.  

We knew from this point we were going to miss our connecting flight to Nevada. As soon as we got off the plane I headed for the line at the counter where they had one lady trying to help a whole plane full of frustrated people.  I have to say she was kind, patient and did her job very well. (Although, I was the third person in line at this point!  That may have helped my cause!  ) Anyway, as the story would unfold we ended up hanging around Norfolk, Virginia until we could catch a later flight to Charlotte, North Carolina then continue on to Las Vegas, Nevada.  While we were waiting, we went into a restaurant for some coffee and breakfast. Once again the waitress was very pleasant and she supplied a bottomless cup of coffee!  What more can you ask for when you are waiting in an airport?? Haha.. 

 I have learned over the years and flying on several occasions to just expect delays.  It makes for a much better trip as I don’t get all stressed out.  I know I will arrive at my destination eventually.  If things happen to go as planned, well that’s great too!  Our morning arrival in Nevada was now going to be a suppertime arrival.  I just try to look at it as an adventure.  After all, when I woke up that morning I never thought I would see 4 different states that day!

Much like our planned vacation, life has a way of throwing things at us.  It changes things up when we least expect it.  We think we have a plan, we think we know what’s happening, where we are going….then BAM, right out of the blue everything is set off onto a different course and we are left spinning wondering what is happening and what do I do now?

As on our trip, we had to trust the Pilot of the plane. We had to go along with what he said or what he thought was best to safely land us where we needed to go, to get where we wanted to be.   You all know where I am about to go with this right?  The same can be said for our Pilot throughout this life, who is God. We have to trust Him.  God is our life pilot.  He knows what is best for us.  When the things of this life change the plan or course we are on, we often get frightened.  It is confusing, we are unsure what to do.  We need to remember that God is our pilot.  He has full control of our lives even when we don’t feel like anything is under control.

We were created for God’s pleasure.  Psalm 139 speaks to how we were planned and wanted by our Heavenly Father from before the beginning of time!  He knows everything about us.  He knows where we are, what we are doing, what we are saying, when we are sleeping and our innermost thoughts.  He is always with us, always caring, always wanting us to turn to Him in the good times and the bad.  He will not fail us.  He wants to take care of us.  He will not let us fall, but we must turn to Him.  We must trust Him with the things we don’t understand.  We must believe that although our course has changed from what we thought, He is still the pilot and He will get us to the end of the journey. He will stay with us and He will never leave us, as He wants only for our good!  He wants more than anything that we choose Him always.

I am not saying that this is easy.  It is not.  When life wallop’s us good and we are knocked off our feet, this is often where the rubber meets the road so to speak.  These dark times are often the times when we see what we are really made of.   These are the times when we will sometimes make poor choices as we are trying to find our way back on track…when the path we were on seems to have disappeared.  I say this from experience.  I have fallen off the path.  I am not proud of this, but there was a time when I was considering walking away from God and Church.  It had not lived up to my expectations at all. I felt like people had failed me, people who should have been there for me. I felt like God had abandoned me. I felt lost.  It was a devastating time in my life.  So when I say it is not easy.  I say it because I have been there.  It’s hard.  But looking back, I can see that God was with me all along the journey.  He was waiting for me to stop trying to fix it myself and just trust Him with my life. Thankfully, when we stumble – God is steadfast!    

If you have been knocked down and can’t see the path, I can promise you that God is right beside you.  He has never left you and even though it can take time, He will show you a new path, the path He has planned out for you and the good He has in store for you and your life if you just keep pressing forward towards Him.  He loves you.  You are His child.  You are a child of the King of Kings.  Don’t lose heart, because as the verse says below, He goes before us and will be with us!

 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” -  Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)  

So, until I write again I encourage you to: Be Strong, Stand Firm and Believe in Miracles! 

Our God is a God of Miracles! 

Count Your Blessings…