| When is the last time you had a lesson in patience? Hopefully, it has been a while because those friction moments are never fun. However, they can be useful because they test one’s metal resulting in an opportunity to grow on the inside. This was my experience last week while traveling internationally with my family. Normally when I travel, I like to be in control. I realize that is a false sense of security because nothing about traveling lends itself to being in control. Actually, it is the opposite because when one travels, one is at the mercy of many things beyond their grasp. Because our initial international flight was delayed by 90 minutes, we missed the connecting flight to our destination. Navigating a foreign airport where customer service isn’t a prized commodity was lesson number one. I could either get angry and let it set the tone of the trip or realize there are some things beyond my control. Eventually, we caught a later flight and arrived at our hotel, and it was worth the wait. Lesson number two was a few days later when it was time to fly back to the mainland. I mistakenly assumed that our return trip from our first flight (that we missed because of a late departure from the U.S.) was still valid. However, because we missed the initial second leg of our arrival flights, we were automatically dropped from the return flight. Long story short, new tickets had to be purchased for a later flight. If that wasn’t bad enough while sitting on the tarmac, I saw my luggage, which was sitting a few feet from the plane, wasn’t loaded. As the plane taxied away, we enquired with the flight attendant only to be told, “Don’t worry, it will be okay.” As one would guess, it didn’t make it on the flight. After two hours of waiting in line to file the report, my family and I made it to our hotel for the last few days of our trip. The last few days didn’t disappoint, although those around me might argue that wearing the same clothes for about 50 hours might have created a different vibe for everyone else. After the day’s excursion, a quick trip to a local department store remedied the clothing problem. Eventually, the night before we were to leave, I did receive my luggage. As I write this and I reflect on the experience and the shared memories with people I love the most, I am grateful. We had a great time, witnessed some of the most beautiful places on earth, created some lasting memories, and arrived home safe and sound. Nothing in this world is a guarantee. Seldom are we in control of the things around us. We can only control how we will respond to the events that happen. Those events can either define a person or the person can rise above them and seize each moment for what it is…an opportunity. Patience is always a lesson of reaction to things beyond one’s control. Proverbs 14:17a says, “a person of quick temper acts foolishly…”. Perhaps in those uncontrollable situations, patience is the best guide.  This Week’s Readings: *Monday – Matthew 18 *Tuesday – Matthew 19 *Wednesday- Matthew 20 *Thursday – Matthew 21 *Friday- Matthew 22 Prayer Requests: *Children’s safety as they participate in summer activities away from home. *An immediate end to the crisis in Ukraine. *Heal those who are sick and protect those who are not. *Comfort those who are grieving and in distress. *Wisdom for our leaders as they navigate through uncertain times. *Guidance for those seeking to find their way. *Continued Growth Inside and Outside the Walls of St. Paul UMC. |
| “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6 |