Sitting on the floor, people watching and writing, in the Norfolk airport, waiting for my zone to be called. There is a large group of military on this flight. Don’t know if they are deploying or coming home. I think they are deploying because some other passengers have told them to be safe.
This trip almost didn’t work out. With van issues and my back injury, I wondered if I would have to cancel the trip. However, fortunately all worked out. Keli drove me to the airport this morning, getting up at 4:30 to do so. My son got up at 4:00 to make me bacon this morning. My other two set their alarms and also got up to tell me goodbye. I have a suitcase pocket filled with notes from them to me. I love my crew!
On board Delta now and out buy window I see a circle rainbow….no joke. It’s a complete circle above the clouds. Strange stuff.
The flight is full and we are packed in here like sardines. I can’t see what I am tuyping because the man in front of me lowered his seat back, so I am typing blind. It will be interesting how many words I spell incorrectly!
Why am I taking this trip? Part of it is purely selfish reasons A chance to travel, a chance to see friends that I haven’t seen in a long time, some of them I haven’t ten in 20 years or so. Getting together with part of my team from our trip to Kenya is also a motive.
But alongside the selfishness is the hope that I can come to terms more with what I should do with my life, what God would have me do with my life. More and More he confirms that my place is to be in ministry. It’s where my jul is. It’s where my mind goes. I don’t know if 127Worldwide ministries is where God is calling me. I still feel a strong, strong pull towards seminary. But what if God were to supply a job at 127 Worldwide, doing orphan care and adoption advocacy, centered in Africa but hopefully spreading out to other countries as well (hence the name “WorldWide” :)On the other hand, I could see myself teaching and authoring a book. All things I want to do, yet I feel like I am spinning my wheels right now.
Part of that is having 4 kids to raise, and the fear of uprooting them from the place that they feel most secure-our church, our community, our home. Keli will be gone soon–her cap and gown came in this week and as she was showing it to me it hit me hard, she’s graduating in just a month and a half or so.
An aside note: I am so roud of her, finishing her high school year strongly. And I am so grateful to God that He has helped me to guide her and raise her to be the beautiful young woman she is ecoming==strong, confidet, focused. One down, 3 to go, and they are and always will be my top priority-to raise them well. To teach the of God’s love for them. To survive parenting. It’s a daily battle-not with the kids, but in my soul and mind, for I long for home a great deal. Not this home, but the home where we will find perfect peace and rest, worshipping my Jesus and my God.
There is a guy behind me who has some serious sleep apnea. I want to turn around to him and say “Seriously, dude, I hope you have a CPAP machine!” He’s snoring so loud and it sounds as if he is dying. Since my CPR class isn’t until next week, I’d not be much help to the poor man if his breathing were to stop.
I need to do some reading, so I will post this now and continue it on my next leg from ATL to BNF. Currently I am still trying to finish up Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes, as we’ll as I have started to read Camus’ book The Stranger. My reviews of both should be interesting.