So for the last couple of years I've been blessed to get to go to an amazing women's retreat. The retreats are such a gift for me. I feel like I can walk in who God created me to be, no worries about being "strange, weird, or TOO me." These ladies accept the me I am now, I don't have to tone my faith down. I don't have to pretend to put God in a box...this kills me on a daily basis at times. God started moving in my heart at a much mightier speed when I accepted His invite to join some wonderful sisters a few years ago. Not that some of the friends God has brought around me, here at home, stop me from walking in my faith. I just noticed looks from some people, or have had some of the "well meaning" friends suggest God isn't the same as He was in the Old testament...
This year I invited a few of my local sisters. God is good & He sent a sister that I knew, but I didn't know her as well as I know some of the others I'd asked to come. We had planned on road tripping to Texas...but God in His infinite wisdom had another plan...boy did He!!! A few weeks before the retreat I just happened to check flight prices...the last time I flew to Texas it was quite expensive. But the first price I saw for the roundtrip flights was so low, it caught my eye. I checked it & sure enough it was the right price. I squealed in excitement at the thought of not having to be a party to a 15+ hour road trip...especially with someone I didn't know much about. I still had to run it by my traveling buddy. I got busy trying to get ahold of her, I didn't have her phone number, so I had to use more creative techniques. It didn't take long, God moves mountains if we ask...after all.
I explained the tickets & she said "YES, please get them!!!" Secretly I thought, "she's probably just as stressed as I am about traveling with me, who she doesn't know much about, as I was about her...only it's probably her getting the short end of this stick, she just doesn't know it." I did just that, I bought the tickets. So over the next few weeks I started to get stuff together...then God decided to answer our prayers for a job for my sweet hubby who had been laid off for over a year & a half...only this job wasn't for local work, it was a job he had to travel to another state to work in. What??? Really Lord, now??? Yes was His answer...there was NO mistaking this answer & in just a couple days my hubby is leavin' on a jet plane, we don't know when he'll be back again...
It felt like the few weeks took forever to go by, I didn't think the Thursday would ever come to catch our flight, but finally the day was upon me!!! I was packed, primped & ready to go. I even had the BIG hair I needed to fit in...with the Texas girls. We start getting emails telling us our flight is delayed, but to come at the right time still. So we show up & get in line to check my bag...I don't know what a stranger is. So as we are waiting in line we start talking to a sweet mama, who is traveling alone with 3 kids...2 of which were excited to be going to see their grandpa. We chat & the line behind us builds...& builds. The front of the line isn't moving as quickly as the back & eventually it happens. Someone at the back of the line decides they dont want to keep waiting so they walk over to the handicap access line & start a NEW line...only this line is moving & more & more people are going up, checking in & heading out. ??? Every time a line gets free, they are walking up in front of those of us waiting in the actual line & taking their turn???
At first I thought the customer service reps would stop the chaos...but NOPE. They helped whoever walked up to their windows. Eventually I suggested we switch lines...finally we do & just as we are 2nd in line, the announcement comes..."flight is full, no more seats." I know my face turned bright red, in frustration & anger. I looked at the rep & said, "no I don't think so. You better get us on another flight tonight!" He said "there aren't anymore flights tonight, we cant get you on until sunday or Monday" I could feel it building...the disappointment, the anger & the words that would cut this person to the core...I looked over at my new sweet sister & it was like God spoke right through her words...."calm Nona, stay calm. They cant help it. Kind words will create a calm environment." But of course I went off on my own & out of my mouth came chaos...again she spoke, "kind be kind." But once again the stubborn, frustrated Nona's mouth opened & out came another quip about the airlines???
Finally, sweet sister, whispers something & God clearly shows me that the rep, though very unhelpful, was a person...as I feel my emotions shift towards God's urging & away from my flesh...I am able to let God have my words, my emotions & my entire being. We make it up to the front of the line to figure out what is our next step & there is the mama & her kiddos next to us in line at the counter. She shares with us that she has requested to be put in a hotel, food & a flight out the next evening on another airline...the supervisor is giving her what she requested. So when we ask our rep for the same things, he says we will have to talk to the supervisor, which we agree to. When she gets done with the mama, we ask for "what she's having please" which the supervisor gladly sets us up & then we also get a free roundtrip flight along with the other remedies. So off we went to our hotel room to get some rest...
What I didn't know at that moment...was how much God had for us to learn...not only about each other...but beside each other.
