Delayed at the airport.

Delay!

“Our trip was delayed. However, from the look of things, I count our delay well worth the cost.”

Lord Nimreu in Beyond the Gloesmur

Have you ever felt frustrated by unavoidable delays?

Stay calm in the storm.

Years ago, a dear friend and I traveled together during our shared birthday week. It was snowing outside, and the airline overbooked our flight. The frazzled gate attendant asked us to surrender our seats. She appeared surprised when we remained calm. Even though we hated losing our flight, we agreed to help her. “We’ll get you another flight as soon as we can,” she said with unspoken gratitude in her voice.

Find the restful place of knowing God’s peace.

Not knowing how or when we would get home, we quietly waited. Being together helped. One frantic customer after another struggled to get alternate travel plans. The delay agitated the stressed travelers. I wish I could say I never felt that way. On this trip, though, my friend and I felt sure that God was still in control. We found ourselves in that restful place of knowing His peace.

Be thankful for the delay.

Our original flight plans included a layover and a late arrival. The attendant gave us our new itinerary on a non-stop flight, arriving home much sooner. To top that, the airline moved us to first class! The attendant apologized and thanked us for being helpful. After expressing our gratitude for her work, we dashed to our awaiting flight. Sitting in our comfortable seats, my friend and I celebrated our flight as birthday gifts to us. The delay was a blessing to us.

My life is not my own.

To this day, that trip serves as a simple reminder to me to not get aggravated and discouraged when delay comes. This experience was an easy lesson with a “silly” blessing. Things ended well. Sure, the first-class flight was fun, but I learned something that day: Stay calm during delays and stay centered on the Lord. My delay is His delay. My life is not my own. Later, I did not have to repent from ill-behavior, I did not leave any damaged attendants behind, and I felt the triumph of trusting the Lord.

Wisdom is knowing God is with me.

When caught in a storm, God is mindful of me, and I need to be aware of Him. When my plans are interrupted, I want the wisdom to realize that God is with me. He and I are in this life together even when things do not end well. At the end, I want to say, “I count our delay well worth the cost.”


Photo by Erik Odiin on Unsplash

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