Beyond Words

Last Sunday I wrote about hope and the fact that it’s often easy to lose your faith and abandon all hope. I had no idea that a true test of hope and faith in God was going to face me head on in the coming days, and in many ways I failed.

My daughter Kristen left to study in Spain last Wednesday. Me, being the perpetual planner that I am, have been organizing the details of her doing so since…forever. I worked with an expert travel planner at AAA to ensure her flight was booked correctly and was the best one out there. She and I bought her travel items and Googled till we were blue in the face. I’d finished my novena to St. Ann and had friends and family praying.  She had a non-stop flight from Dallas to Madrid.  Everything was set.  Easy peasy, right?

Wrong.  The morning of her flight thunderstorms decided to deluge Dallas. Her flight out of Austin was delayed more than two hours and making her connection was in serious jeopardy.  Just when I was about to totally lose it, she called and said they were taking off and Dallas-bound.  Still, barring a miracle, how would she ever land, taxi, depart her flight and somehow make it to her internationally-bound gate…in 45 minutes…at an airport bigger than the island of Manhattan?!

All I could do was hope.  And pray.  And swear.  And cry.

In the meantime I knew Plan B had to be arranged.  I had British Airways on my cell phone and American Airlines on the landline trying to figure out what their plans were should she miss her connection. It’s not like there was another flight leaving for Madrid in 40 minutes. This was going to be a big deal.  (For the record, I never spoke to an AA operator after being on hold for more than 30 minutes, but during this same 30 minutes, I was helped numerous times by BA representatives.  #nothappywithAmericanairlines!)

I was also on the phone with my dear friend Kathy in Dallas for both support and to ask if she could pick Kristen up should she miss her connecting flight. Did I mention I was balling every time I spoke with Kathy? She, however, was a rock. She assured me all would work out and all would be fine. I can never thank her enough.

Long story short, Kristen arrived Dallas (after taxing for what to me seemed like forever as the flight waited for a gate to open up!), hopped on the Tram, and made it to her departing gate. She called me from inside the plane and told me in Spanish, I’m on the plane! She was so calm and collected the entire time. I cannot say how impressed I am with her.  My girl is all growed up.

Now back to me. Did I mention I was a mess???? Let me also add that Smitty was in Chicago so I was solo…doing this all on my own…save for Kathy. At one point I was literally on my knees begging God to perform a miracle and to please let her make her connection. I lit my St. Jude candle and implored upon St. Ann and dear sweet Mary. I was scared and I was angry. I have faced some tremendous challenges and disappointments  in the past few months and weeks and I felt like, “Why God? Why now and why me, again?” Even more importantly, why Kristen? All I asked for was for her to be safe and secure. Was that too much to ask?

No, not of God. She made her connection in a most miraculous fashion and was safely on her way to Spain.  And, thanks to a snazzy website Kathy told me about, I could literally “follow” her flight path all the way to Madrid. I was in and out of sleep all night doing so but each time I awoke, there was my St. Jude candle, glowing supportively. Never give up it seemed to be saying. God is here.

Yes He was and yes He is.  I am still thanking Him.

“Do not worry about anything and have no anxiety. Instead, tell God your needs and thank Him for His answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest.” Phil. 4:6-7