It has been on my heart for a while to start up again and share more than just my job or pictures of my family but finding the time is the hardest part.
Midnight it is!
With so much going through my head this week, now is as good a time as any....right?
To catch up since the last post:
Josh has left his band and is working for our church
Bayside, I have left my job at the very same church to work from home and care for our daughter Annabelle & we also have another baby coming this summer.
You will have to excuse my grammar and all such related issues.
Im not a writer, I just like to tell stories.
And off we go!
Last week we flew to Ohio for the funeral of Josh's grandfather & on the way home a funny thing happened (well it wasn't funny to me at the time).
On flight #1072 from Canton to Tampa Annabelle had her first cry on a plane.
This being flight #10 in her extensive flying career of 8 months I was sure we were golden by now but the flight departed around 9am and we woke her up around 4:30am, so she was pretty cranky by the time we sat in our seats. She cried for maybe 5 minutes and I was horrified thinking we are "those people" on the plane and everyone hates us. Luckily after 5 minutes she was passed out and fast asleep for the rest of the flight and my father in law said I was more bothered than anyone else around us. Whew.
What this experience did was jog a memory of a 15 hour flight I took back in December of 2010.
I was leading a trip (pregnant with Annabelle) to Zimbabwe of a team of people from our church. The flight was South African Airways flight #0204 from Orlando to Johannesburg and I learned 2 very very valuable lessons on it.
For hours and hours and hours and hours a toddler screamed in the seat across from me. Literally I could not sleep, relax or even concentrate on my watching my movies. I was MAD.
15 hours flights are not that bad if you can sleep, watch movies and relax and I wasn't able to do any of those things or even move seats for that matter! I cannot tell you how many times I looked up in total anger at this mother. Why are you not able to calm him down? He must be exhausted by now? What is wrong with him? What is wrong with you? PLEASE Jesus make him sleepy!!!!
I would go in waves of mad at mom and praying that God would make this baby fall asleep. At some point I answered my own prayer and fell asleep. When I woke up I immediately noticed there was no screaming. I looked across to the seat I had eyed so many times before in anger and what I saw slapped me in the face. One of the women from MY team was sat talking to her while another woman from MY team has taken the child for a walk through the isles.
I cannot express the shame that overcame me. As the "leader" I was supposed to be leading by example and I had totally missed my first opportunity!
I was so eager to rest up for the destination, I had overlooked the journey.
Two things I took away from that experience on flight #0204:
1- The mission can be right in front of us and if we are too busy "preparing" for the mission we can completely miss it.
2- You NEVER know what someone is going through. The story turns out that this woman was not even the child's mother. She is just traveling with him to take him to a relative. She was baffled, completely exhausted and extremely grateful for the help our team provided.
Of course when we had time to de-brief after our arrival I shared my boo boo with the team and praised them for being so attentive.
The irony of this story is, we were traveling to Africa to work with orphans (many of which turned out to be the same age as this child) & this child needed exactly what I had stepped on the plane to do. Be loved on.
I still tear up a bit when I think about it. Not because I am still ashamed but rather because of how grateful I am for grace and love. The grace and love of God and that same grace and love we receive from people in our lives at the exact times we need it most.
Trust me-I have made many mistake since and have many stories yet to share :)
Hope you enjoy the journey with me,
Krystle
1 comment:
So loved doing Africa with you Krystle! I so needed to read this blog. I do remember that time on the plane and feeling the same way. But once knowing her story and not thinking about "walking in her shoes", I had to look back and ask for God's forgiveness.
As soon as we arrived in Zimbabwe and God began showing us those beautiful orphans and other children, I was brought back to the thought of the lady on the plane too. You put it so well- the children we saw were the same age as that little boy on the plane.
I'm so thankful for God showing me my faults and to remember that until I walk in a person's shoes, I have no right to be angered or frustrated with a situation like that.
Again, what a true blessing it was to serve in Africa again. A piece of my heart was left there when I came home. I knew it wasn't the last time I would set feet on that continent. The passion I have for those children, the culture, the sights and sounds just make my heart swell up with love thinking about it! I will never be the same again because of that mission trip. I thank God daily for the oppurtunity to have been able to go and serve for Him.
I can't wait to go back in September of this year! Oh, and if God should decide to put another crying baby on the plane, I will be more considerate tolerant of the situation.
Thank you for your words! Love you my friend!!
In His name,
Alice
Post a Comment