James 4:14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
My recent return flight from Nashville to Philadelphia turned out to be one for the record books.
My son took me to the Nashville airport in plenty of time to catch my 1:30 flight to Philadelphia, where my husband would pick me up at 4:30. Add two hours for the drive home, and we would arrive in Lancaster at a reasonable time. That was the plan.
But sometimes plans change.
I had settled in at my gate with my book and latte. Then I heard the announcement that due to a mechanical failure, my flight was being delayed until the airplane could be repaired. The new ETA for Philadelphia was 12:30 am! So I joined the long line of passengers to see if I could get another flight.
The attendant said, “Yes, we can reroute you and get you to Harrisburg around 11:15 pm (only 40 minutes from our house). But you’ll have to go through Dallas.” Well, 11:15 in Harrisburg sounded a lot better than 12:30 in Philadelphia. So I said, “Book it!”
This meant trekking to a new gate. But unfortunately, that plane also experienced a malfunction, so we had to move to another concourse. Finally, we set out for Dallas.
When I arrived in Dallas, I made it to my terminal. Relief swept over me as we began to board. But my relief was short-lived. Something broke down on that plane, too, and we had to deboard and secure another aircraft. When the captain of our new flight announced we would be delayed due to some potential engine problems, I texted my husband five words: “Pray I get home safely.”
Three, and potentially four, malfunctioning planes later, we drove into our driveway at 1:45 am.
Throughout the ordeal, I experienced far more gratitude than frustration. Scripture warns us to place our plans in God’s hands (James 4:13). We don’t know what each day will bring our way, so we’re to make the most of the time we have. We can grumble about delays and changes or entrust each day to his will (v.15).
So the next time change thwarts your plans, don’t waste your precious time complaining. Trust the God who knows more than we do.