Travel Mishaps and Musings

I was up before the sun today - 4:30 a.m., bright and early. I woke up so early because today was the day I began my summer travels, interning with CIY (Christ in Youth) Engage running youth conferences all around the Midwest. The first part of the day was relatively uneventful - my parents drove me to the airport, I checked in, and before long I was in my seat on the plane without incident.

Within a few minutes, however, was my first mishap of the day. A passenger behind me lost control of her bag as she tried to lift it into the overhead compartment, and subsequently dropped it on my head. I wasn't paying attention, still being half asleep, and so it came out of nowhere - it honestly was almost sort of funny, except for the fact that it was actually pretty painful. The flight attendent was very kind and brought me ice, checking to make sure I was okay, and life went on as before (though some of the skin on my head didn't).

Because it was actually sort of hilarious in a sad kind of way

Soon, we touched down in Dallas. The layover time flew by, and soon I was boarding the plane that would take me to my final destination: Joplin, Missouri. However, the second travel mishap then took place - because of a problem with the pilot's chair, we weren't able to take off right away, and soon thereafter a storm rolled in. We ended up sitting on the plane for two hours before being deboarded and told that our flight was cancelled. 

I was able to find another flight to a different airport, and I'll make it to Joplin eventually. What I've kept coming back to this entire day, however, was a section of Eugene Cho's book, Overrated, where he talks about waiting - something I've been doing a lot of today - and getting time alone with God. As Cho discusses Chapter 4, we in America often get so caught up in our devices (guilty. super guilty.) and the idea that it is important to always be busy doing something, that we neglect to just spend time with God and listen to what he's saying to us. 

The past semester was extremely discouraging and difficult for me, for a variety of reasons. I initially drifted away from God, mainly because I was exhausted, stressed, and "too busy." However, I was broken down more and more until I realized that the only thing left for me to do to pull myself up was to turn to and lean on Him. So while I was tempted to be irritated and discouraged by the delays and mishaps I encountered today, I realized that really it's been a huge blessing - it's only the first day, and already God has created a space for me to spend extra time alone with Him. And while this does make things more inconvenient for those involved in fetching me from the airport, I can't help but feel that this is a good sign for the weeks to come. I'm very hopeful and excited to see how God is going to heal me and grow me this summer.

Because sometimes I'm pretty obstinate

Most people who know me will tell you that loving people and doing good are huge parts of who I am and what I plan to do with my life. And I just wanted to share something that Cho says that really speaks to me in this moment of my life: 

"We need to pursue justice not just because the world is broken, but because we're broken too. Pursuing justice helps us put our own lives in order. Perhaps this is what God intended - that in doing His work serving others, we discover more of His character and are changed ourselves." 

I'm looking forward to not only being able to serve those around me and the youth attending Engage, but also being able to learn and grow in the Lord through that service.