My flight was scheduled to depart at 12:30 p.m. I knew that the drive to the airport would take an hour so leaving the house at 10:00 a.m. would be perfect. Unfortunately, when the clock turned 10, I was still in the shower. Normally, my time management is on point. I always say “It is better to arrive 15 minutes earlier than 5 minutes late” But, today I was running late. By the time I was dressed and ready to go, it was 10:30 a.m. Leaving at this time meant that I would get to the airport at 11:30 a.m. which gives me a full hour to check my bag, get through security and walk to the gate. I thought “that should be enough time.”
I finally arrived to the airport at exactly 11:35 a.m., only to discover I was at the wrong airport. I couldn’t believe it! My correct airport was on the other side of town which was 45 minutes away. Immediately, I headed towards the highway and sped towards the airport. Feelings of frustration and anger overwhelmed me. My mind was racing as I started thinking about all the things I did wrong. I should have left at the time I said, double checked my itinerary or packed my bags sooner. What if I miss my flight? Would I have to purchase a new ticket? hotel? Will there even be another flight? My mind was flooded with all the things that would go wrong if I did not get there on time.
The drive to the airport was horrible. Traffic was backed up, roads were closed and I got off on the wrong exit, twice! After about 20 minutes of panicking and worry, God spoke to me. In that moment, everything around me disappeared and I could hear his voice. He reminded me that I was not alone and He is in control. If I am meant to be on the flight, than I will be on the flight. The more time I spent worrying, the less time I spent having faith.
I was more focused on my ability to make my flight; I completely forgot about what God is able to do. I decided to get in prayer. I prayed for my faith to grow and for God to align me with His will. I prayed for a peace of mind and safe travels. I know that everything happens for a reason. I refused to allow Satan to play on my emotions by distracting me with my situation. Minutes later, the peace of God came over me and I felt renewed. The words ‘Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? [Matthew 6:27] played in my head over and over. Finally, I arrived to the airport with 20 minutes to spare.
I grabbed my suitcase and ran inside. There was no one on line! I went straight to the front and told the agent my flight was leaving in 15 minutes. She checked my flight and informed me it had been delayed. Could I have really been surprised? God was reassuring me the entire drive that He is in control. The funny thing is that I did contact the airlines earlier and my flight reported it was on schedule. Now, I am here and there was a 2-hour delay. I couldn’t help but laugh. My laughter soon turned into tears . . . of joy. How could I have doubted the power of God? How could I have relied on my own ability to make it on time, when I know that God can do things beyond the natural? How could I have focused on doubts and not faith? This situation was a test to my faith and it showed me, I have much more growing to do.
Believers, I encourage you to trust in The Lord. Even when you do not see a way, know that God has already created a way. When things seem to be falling apart, remember that God is putting them back together for an even better and bigger purpose. Don’t spend time sitting in doubt or living in worry. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus [Philippians 4:6-7].