Last Friday, Brooke, Soni, and I sat on a plane preparing to leave for the “Time Out” event in Harrisburg. But that plane never took off. After waiting fifty minutes for a “mechanical problem” to be explored, we were all asked to leave the aircraft. Grumbling and frazzled, the three of us (along with five other TOFW presenters) exited the plane and re-entered the airport, which was now a busy, loud mess with passengers scrambling to find new routes to their destinations.
In my head, I began to whine. I had left my house at 4:30 that morning. I could have slept in and even gotten my kids off to school. Now we were going to miss our connecting flight. Who KNOWS how long we would be sitting in the airport? Oh—and I was starving.
But little did I know how beautiful this day would turn out. A seemingly frustrating situation was the beginning of one of the most blessed, mercy-filled days I’d had in a LONG time. Here are a few of the miracles we experienced:
An Unexpected Brunch
After realizing we were back in the airport for a while, I called my parents, who were flying to Boston that morning. Imagine my surprise to discover they were standing only a few feet away from me! We sat down for an unexpected morning brunch—and for a few moments, I had my parents (who I rarely get to see) all to myself. What a sweet tender mercy.
Eight Open Seats
Miraculously, we found a flight leaving for Washington, DC, with five open seats. Never mind that there were eight of us trying to get on, and never mind that we were actually trying to get to Pennsylvania. It seemed like our best shot at that point. We sprinted to the gate, loaded five of us on, and at the last second, three more seats popped open. The last eight seats on the plane were filled with eight prayerful women trying to make it to TOFW. Coincidence? I think not.
An Unforgettable Experience
We landed in DC with plans to drive the 2 1/2 hours to Pennsylvania. But we were encouraged by the locals to wait until evening to avoid traffic. So . . . what’s a group of adventurous women to do with a few hours to kill in the nation’s capital? Hop on the Metro and go sightseeing, of course! We saw the Washington National Monument, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, and soaked in the sights, sounds, and fragrances of the city.
My heart was overflowing with gratitude. Never would I have thought when I woke up that morning that I would end up that afternoon in Washington, DC, feeling the energy and spirit of that place. It was thrilling, uplifting, magical—and I needed it.
A Safe Journey
The next morning, our dear friend and fellow TOFW presenter Mariama Kallon pointed out that the Lord very well could have been protecting us from danger when we were asked to leave that first plane. She pointed out that we were lucky the “mechanical problem” had not been a problem in the air. And not only did we eventually reach our destination on time, we reached it in complete safety. I was a little embarrassed I hadn’t seen that myself.
What I originally saw as a frustrating, inconvenient situation was not that at all. It was part of a beautifully orchestrated journey conducted by the Lord. He saw the end from the beginning, and all moments in between. MY plan was to get us to Pennsylvania with no changes in the schedule. HIS plan was to get us to Pennsylvania in safety, clearing the path with many small miracles, and punctuating it with memories I will treasure forever.
I am determined to trust the Lord’s plan for me more fully—even if it doesn’t make sense. Having faith that the certain bends and twists in the road led me to something greater than I could have imagined. To see that great disappointments or losses or trials of my life were actually His ways of blessing me—His tender mercies in disguise.