Learning the hard way

I’ve spent the last month away from Adelaide, studying and doing ministry, living out of  a suitcase and sleeping on lots of different floors. I spent two weeks at the YWAM base in Melbourne, doing a course so that I’m certified to do training (DTSes etc.) and then at the end of that time had a flight to Brisbane, where I was going to stay with a friend for a few days and then meet up with some others to run a NIKO camp  (a leadership development/team building outdoors experience). Sounds simple enough…right?

Well, add the fact that my natural hair color is in fact blonde, and we have trouble. I organized a ride to the airport, got there an hour before my flight, went to the electronic check-in kiosk…and no flight to Brisbane was listed. I quickly grabbed my laptop to check my flight details and also called Nat back in Adelaide and asked her to check my email. We both came to the same conclusion - I was at the wrong airport.

Brilliant. 

The airport that my flight actually left from was over an hour away (pictured on the right, and yes, that is basically the entire airport...) with no direct shuttle so that I had to take an (expensive) shuttle

 to the city and then another (more expensive) back out to the other airport. I called my friend in Brisbane, told her what was going on, jumped on the bus to the city and tried to figure out my options. At this point I was pretty certain I would miss my plane and was completely frustrated, all I could do was ask God what to do. My friend had suggested getting a taxi, and I felt like that was what God was telling me to do also. So, when I got to the city - with 30 min to go before my flight - I found a taxi driver, asked him how long to the airport and he told me it would be an hour. I didn’t even ask how much money that would be and walked away, figuring it was too late (and figuring I knew better than God, of course). 

I sat at the bus station for a while, found internet so I could check on the airline’s website etc. I called the airline, was put on hold, naturally, and just as someone got to me I ran out of phone credit. Amazing. After another 30 min or so of trying to figure all that out, not being able to get on the internet to put more credit on my phone, and watching some other guy use the pay phone that I could’ve been using, I finally was able to use that phone, got through to the airline and they said they couldn’t do anything and I had to go to the airport. I tried calling the airport to avoid the $20 shuttle and got this message, “our office hours are 8am to 5pm, please try again at that time.” I looked at my watch: 5:01. 

So, I finally figured my only option was to actually go to the airport, suck it up and pay the money. I had to wait an hour and a half for it to actually leave and in the meantime was at least able to finally buy phone credit. I took the shuttle, the whole time asking God to make it work out for me, to figure something out, and to make it clear to me what I was supposed to be learning from all of this. I finally made it to the airport, went to the service desk praying for someone helpful. The lady was really nice to me, but when I told her which flight I had missed her response was: “That flight was delayed for 3 hours. Had you arrived 45 minutes earlier you would’ve made it.” 

0 for 5. 

Recall the taxi option? Probably should’ve just listened to God - it’s almost like he was saying “I tried to hold the plane for you…”

I had hoped I’d at least be able to get on a flight the next day or something, but there was nothing else available to Brisbane for a few days. Fortunately, I had somewhere to stay in the city, so I jumped back on that shuttle to the city, took the train to my friend’s house and tried to figure out what the heck I was going to do. 

It all ended up working out, although I only spent one day with my friend in Brisbane rather than 4 and I had to fly into a totally different city and meet up with others going to Brisbane for the camp. It also cost me a good chunk of money, which was annoying. 

I guess the reason I wanted to tell this story on my blog was to comment on what I got out of it. Like I said, the whole day I kept asking God what he was teaching me. And I don’t know if I ever got a clear answer but looking back it was pretty clear that I should’ve just taken a breath, slowed down and listened to God and done what he directed, even if it didn’t seem to make sense. I think in this concentrated situation, I was able to see a little of how I tend to live my life day-to-day. I’m so often so busy that I am just constantly reacting to what’s thrown at me (or the consequences of being disorganized) rather than being able to step back and see the big picture. I know I should talk to God about what’s going on, and usually do, but don’t actually take all the time needed to listen for the answers to my frantic prayers. 

This has been something God has really been teaching me lately, anyways, and was just another reminder that I’m getting there but haven’t yet arrived (and honestly, do you ever actually arrive?) I’m learning to plan, organize myself, say no, set boundaries… and it’s been good but hard. I am becoming more and more aware of how important those lessons are, though, so I’m getting there. I am really thankful that God allows me to reap the consequences of my mistakes and oversights so that I am able to learn, but at the same time helps me pick up the pieces and figure stuff out. He really did work things out for me, and has blessed me financially so that I wasn't at a complete loss in that area. I’ve been reminded again and again lately of his wisdom and the fact that he can see the big picture…how good is that?