Well… The Thursday before our vacation I missed my flight home from work travel. Normally, missing a flight would be expected and laughable, considering I have been extra spacey lately, but this flight was important! It was going to get 296 miles closer to vacation!
We had it all planned out. I would fly into Chicago around 3 pm, Tyler would pick Sal up from school around that same time and begin the drive to Florida, scooping me up from Chicago O’Hare airport along the way.
About 20 minutes before my plane would board, I jetted to the bathroom. When I returned to my seat I expected to hear our flight called for boarding, but… nada. I finally felt concerned. Why have we not boarded yet? I looked at my watch. That’s when the panic HIT HARD. 2:47 pm. THAT WAS THE TIME MY FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART!
I freaked… ran around like a chicken with my head cut off. I am sure the bystanders enjoyed the show. I realized that after my trip to the bathroom I took a wrong turn back to the gate. I never noticed that I was only a couple gates down from where I was supposed to be! I booked it like a bat out of hell – thinking MAYBE {just maybe} they held it. As I approached the gate I saw the status in uppercase letters.
Flight 5248 to Chicago O’Hare: DEPARTED.
NOOOOOO! I need to get to vacation! They didn’t understand. I only had about 7 hours of sleep in the last two days combined. I needed to finish the week strong at work and the goal was to get rid of all the stress before I was away. And although I was just feeling like a rock star no more than 10 minutes ago, I was now standing in front of the service counter looking like a big loser.
And the cherry on top? All flights were booked for the rest of the day.
As Tyler and I {with other family as witnesses} discussed before I left – if anything happened and for some odd, unforeseen, outlandish {Jackie misses her flight} reason that I did not get on the flight, Tyler told me to rent a car and drive to Indy. There, he and Sal would pick me up on the way.
And here I was, calling Tyler to let him know I missed my flight. He might have thought I was joking at first, but he calmed down when he realized it was not a joke. It could have been my hyperventilating that gave it away.
Plan B.
As I got to the car rental I was feeling like a major idiot. WHO SITS AT THE WRONG GATE AND MISSES THEIR FLIGHT? {This may or may not be the 2nd time I have done this. No questions will be answered on that topic from here on out.} I shuffled my feet to a little, charcoal gray Chevy rental car. I threw my stuff in the passenger seat, programed the Waze app to lead me to Indy and cranked up the music.
The station was already tuned in. Good, Good Father by Chris Tomlin was playing on STAR 93.3. I felt like I was smacked in the face. Plan B was not my plan. It was not Tyler’s either. It was His. {I was in such disbelief, I had to take a picture!}
Cause you are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways to us
I spent most of that 90 minute drive to Indy in conversation with the Lord. I am not perfect. I am not Him. But no matter what I have in mind for my plan, His perfect plan will prevail. As if I needed to be reminded again that I am not in control… it was a much needed token of God’s hand in my life. It also reminded me that He wanted to spend time with me on that day and over those last two crazy days, I must have neglected Him more than I should have.
Thank you Lord for bringing Plan B to fruition for me on that day. It is your will that will be done. Please give me strength, confidence and ability to make the right decisions so that every time I end up in a situation where I am struggling, I find you present and feel your guidance.
You’re a Good, Good Father
(You are perfect in all of your ways)
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
(You are perfect in all of your ways)
It’s who I am, it’s who I am it’s who I am
Many Blessings and Cheers, Jax