Disappointment, Delays and Detours

It didn't look promising. On Christmas Day the hovering snowstorm was threatening to keep everyone from making their holiday destinations. The holding area was somber as the flight got pushed back and then farther back and incoming flights were canceled.

People were texting, making calls and waiting. Concerned about their connecting flights people were making alternate plans for their final destinations.

While many people dream of a white Christmas, most of us in the terminal thought it was white enough outside and it could stop any time.

However, the snow continued to fall, the plows kept clearing the runways, just in case there was an opening in the sky and attendants swept the moveable staircase, while the passengers grew even more concerned. Not the Christmas that any of us had planned.

And then the Christmas spirit kicked in when one precious lone flight attendant boarded the cold dark plane and made a pot of hot coffee to share. And then came another along with a basket full of pretzels, more than we would have received on the plane itself.

A piece of good news would be followed by a bit of bad news just like a roller coaster.
And then came the announcement, ladies and gentlemen we will be boarding the plane in a few minutes, the crowd let out a cheer--only an eight hour delay so far. Not a typical Christmas, but we were at least making progress.

Once on the plane, the de-icing process took over an hour per side, so we were now over 10 hours delay.

We ended up making the last connecting flight to Houston, since the departure gate was right next to our arrival gate. If I believed in luck I would have thought ours was changing except when the plane was about to push away from the terminal one of the ground crew performing the final check discovered a landing light had come off and had to be replaced and required another thirty minute delay.

Finally after leaving home at 6:15 AM we arrived in Houston at 12:15 AM the following day after seventeen hours of delays and waiting and traveling only to find that our luggage was still at DFW.

How could I have endured all of that? I was on the way to see the grandchildren and go on a road trip for an additional 7 hours the next morning and so it was all worth it just to see their smiling faces.

Life is filled with disappointment, delays and detours, but when we know that it is all filtered through the hands of God it makes it all right. After all when Jesus walked on this earth, His life wasn't all exactly the way He wanted it to be; He was obedient to what His Father wanted.

Hebrews 12:1b-2 And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
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