As I write this, I am in Brazil right now, waiting for my flight home. While getting to my gate today, I was reminded of a painful experience three weeks ago.
I had a scheduled flight with my son to Miami and then a connecting flight to Brasilia. The travel agent previously had to change my son's ticket because she gave him the wrong return flight. Due to the quick change, she inadvertently spelled the last name wrong. (Zenke instead of Zemke). Augh!!! At check in, the ticketing agent sees the misspelling and says that is a problem! I then proceeded to stand at the ticketing counter for 2 ½ hours, but both the travel and ticketing agents combined could not solve the issue, and we missed our flight. Through the long process, the manager did not come to help but he did interrupt me several times and point to the sign that said ‘Mutual Respect.’ I was frustrated! In the end we went home and had to fly out three days later.
The anxiety of missing a flight at the time was overwhelming. Sometimes things occur, and you ask, Why did I go through that? It felt like a test. There are things I could have said to several people but held back by God’s grace. It would not have been pretty.
Did it happen so I could:
- Spend more time with my dad?
- More time to work on my research paper?
- Prevent us from experiencing something that might have happened on the flight?
What if something happens on the next flight? Incidents like this make you ask why did that happen? What did God want me to learn, if anything? God is Sovereign, and I don’t need the answer.
This is easier than other tragic circumstances because the consequences were insignificant, just the pain of waiting to see my wife and daughters after a long absence. I eventually got to Brazil and had a great time with my family. Some things in life in the heat of the moment may seem monumental, but in time, you realize this too shall pass. Teens may make poor decisions in the middle of a rejection or disappointment. Often if they wait a while, they later realize it’s not as tragic as they thought, and life goes on.
As followers of Christ, we are reminded that God cares for us, God loves us, and he rules over all. In light of eternity, you can endure all things, even the worst and unthinkable things. We have a glorious destiny!
1 Corinthians 2:9, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.”
