Delays, A Sunset, and Luggage
My friends and I were looking forward to traveling to one of the most spectacular places of natural beauty on earth- the Canadian Rockies. Flight times weren’t ideal with a 10:30 pm arrival in a new time zone, but we made the best of it. We landed in a connecting airport to discover our next flight was delayed. Thirty minutes was no problem. The minutes turned into an hour, and moving in increments, we were approaching arrival at our destination around 1:30 am. For our bodies, it was 3:30.
Delays happen with air travel. We had some hilarious conversations with people in the boarding area and that brought distraction. We squeezed the lemons of waiting and made lemonade so to speak.
I decided to take a break, get up to walk a bit, and look out to see if our plane arrived at our gate. (Maybe we didn’t hear the announcement?) Instead, I was met by a beautiful sunset. I took a picture and sent it to my family adding text: “We’re still waiting, but I saw this.”
A response came with hearts and a comment: “God sees and knows.”
[Tweet “There was no connecting plane, but we connected with another glimpse of God’s faithfulness and moved into settled waiting.”]
On any day, month, or life season, we are waiting. Sometimes it’s as simple as waiting for guests to arrive, or waiting for a table at a restaurant. It may be more serious waiting-for medical test results or a job offer. How do we wait?
Our waiting at the airport evolved from annoyance, to questions, then uncertainty, and imagining alternate plans. Finally we rested in settled waiting. The artist and creator of the sunset knew our whereabouts and His plans for us. Circumstances were beyond our control. We rested in waiting. We settled in. Eventually we boarded, and yes, arrived at 3:30 am, our body’s time.
Our destination held beauty beyond our imagination. From mountains to turquoise water; flowers overflowing in pots and spreading in gardens, and walking on ice fields, each new experience gave us “aha” moments.
[Tweet “Our daily waiting may not have magnificent beauty on the other side. Waiting may end with troubling news or more delays, even the answer in a denial. But we can have the settled waiting of a sunset in God’s faithfulness.”]
We returned safely home after fourteen days. As luggage came around the carousel, friends retrieved theirs. Mine apparently, was left at another connecting airport. I returned home and unpacked my carry-on. I couldn’t resist texting my friends complete with a laughing emoji; “I’m completely unpacked!.” Not all waiting is met with humor or a desired outcome, but my suitcase arrived the next afternoon. I got to work waiting for signals that wash and dry cycles had finished.
What about you? How do you wait? Restless, making alternative plans, settled with confidence of God’s faithfulness, or do you sometimes find humor as you wait?
The Conversation
Waiting can be exasperating but you made the best of it and were rewarded for your patience with the beautiful views. Thanks for sharing these amazing photos.
Marilyn, what an absolutely delightful view of waiting. I hope I remember God’s presence and the values waiting holds the next time I face delays. Thank you.
Don’t you love how God ALWAYS rewards our faithfulness. I’ve experienced many of those delays in my “Road Warrior” days and far more often than I should have, I would join in with the chorus of dissatisfaction. But, like you, when I simply dealt with the situation without losing my patience and joy in the Lord, I was always rewarded. Be that a beautiful sunrise or sunset, or getting upgraded to first class. God always blessed my honoring Him. Another great post and lesson Ms. Marilyn.
Thank you!
How do you wait? What a great question. Waiting can be hard, challenging, rewarding, scary. The hardest waiting I every did was waiting for my terminally ill wife to pass away. We had closure, a long good-bye, and knew heaven awaited, yet there was a sadness in the wait because of knowing I would miss her, knowing the impact on my children. Now we wait for a reunion in heaven.
It always helps when we have someone to wait with us. Your group made “lemonade” and found patience (if not joy) in the waiting. But as we wait on the Lord in the here and now, we know that immeasurable joy is in our future. Thank you for sharing, Marilyn.
I find waiting so difficult at times so your message really inspired me. We do need to look for God in the wait. Thanks for sharing Marilyn
A sense of humor helps in any tense situation. But seriously, in those times, I remind myself to wait on the Lord rather than a specific outcome. Thanks, Marilyn. By the way, your trip sounds delightful!
Marilyn, patience is definitely a requirement for air travel. Love the analogy. Our travel through life requires waiting and trust too.