God Hurt My Feelings

I am sitting all alone in the Phoenix airport. I got to the Charlotte airport 9 hours ago. I was scheduled to leave at 9:35 on a direct flight to San Francisco, landing at noon and spending the day with my dear friend Cris.

She lives in Sacramento and is going to pick me up and drive me to Vacaville where I am speaking this weekend. I have not seen her in over a year. We were going to spend the whole day together, but I missed my flight this morning. So, I was re-routed to Phoenix and will be here for 3.5 hours waiting for my next flight. I’ll arrive in CA at 6:55pm. I will have spent 13 hours in a airplane or an airport today. Poor pitiful me!

If only I had packed a smaller suitcase. I was running late but I got there 4o minutes before take-off. I could have made it to the gate, but they would not take my suitcase at the counter, and they would not send it on the next plane to meet me later. You have to travel together, they said.

But that’s not what hurt my feelings. It know it was my fault. I should have woken up sooner, hurried faster, not lingered as long in my husbands arms, put my make-up on at the airport, filled my gas tank yesterday….

It didn’t even hurt my feelings that God didn’t give me a nice airport person to help me. I mean it would have been great if He had. It would have been wonderful if I had not gotten stuck in horrible traffic and very helpful if He’d reminded me that my gas tank was empty and I needed to allow more time.

I almost cried at the ticket counter, but I decided to be a big girl. I made a choice to be encouraged that God wanted to spend our day together alone, in a different location. So I moved my car to a cheaper parking lot, got myself a latte and called two friends. I needed someone in the world to feel sorry for me.

I was doing okay and making the most of this “opportunity.” I boarded my new flight an hour and a half later, got out my Bible and started reading, even talked to the people beside me. We were going to be in the air almost 5 hours and I was tired, but I don’t sleep well next to strangers. So I decided I just needed a little protein to give me some energy and I’d be fine, as long as I got some food in my stomach.

It was noon by now and they announced our menu options…my heart pitter-pattered, my mouth watered, my tummy grumbled and I reached into my purse for some cash. And that is when it happened. There was NO MONEY.

Okay God, my feelings are hurt! I mean You knew this was going to happen, couldn’t You have remembered to put lunch money in my purse!?

Then I thought, maybe my my new friends sitting on my aisle will offer to cover for me. But instead, they gave me their peanuts. So, I ate 6 paks of airplane trail mix and drank the rest of my cold latte.

I know God loves me. I know He’s with me. He even provided some good airport food here. I will still get to see Cris and spend time with her tomorrow. But I am still pouting… and I need a nap.