Everyone asked if I was nervous to fly back to Hawaii with a one year old and without Derek. I would casually shrug it off, saying that I had prepared myself for worse-case scenario and anything other than that would be a piece of cake. Well, my reference point for 'worse-case scenario' was the LAST time we flew back to Hawaii; Owen was teething, burning up with fever and we spent the majority of those five and a half hours walking the aisle and bonding with the flight attendants in the back. We survived and I figured it couldn't possibly be worse..... But, alas, I was sorely mistaken.
Backing up, the reason I was flying without the man who always steers me in the right direction is because he graciously let me extend my vacation to see more family and friends. My Grandma celebrated her 90th birthday and a whole pack of family members trekked to Colorado for the occasion; I couldn't possibly come so close and then miss an event like that! Someone has to bring home the bacon, however, so Owen and I partied for an extra 5 days while Derek returned to work. [Have I mentioned how I like that man?!]
Pikes Peak with some of my favorites!!
These boys have an incredible GREAT Grandma <3
Okay, back to the journey that I was not prepared for.The day started out on a high note. Owen and I had an airport party with my long-lost-best friend and partner in crime. I couldn't have asked for a better send off! We made it to the plane with time to spare and Owen quickly set to work, charming the ladies behind the desk... okay, any lady within crab walking distance! We boarded the plane and did the meet and greet with a sweet college student lucky enough to sit next to us. Then they informed us that the closet door was jammed and we absolutely could not take off until the door was fully closed or fully opened. Not a big deal unless it takes 30 minutes to repair. And even those 30 minutes would not have mattered if my layover in LA had been any longer than 45 minutes!
Now, Owen and I don't mess around in that stroller, and we may have set a new record this particular day. But the man unloading said stroller from the plane was not out to set any records. Neither was the man driving the bus to the OTHER TERMINAL of LAX where our plane was awaiting us. Needless to say, our sprinting didn't make a difference; the Kona bound flight was long gone by the time we came panting up to the gate. 'Not to fear', they informed me, 'you're on the next flight to Honolulu, we've got you a hotel there and you can fly to Kona tomorrow.' Not exactly what I had in mind but the adventurer in me was, honestly, pretty stoked about a chance to see a tiny bit of another island.
The little man was a trooper, but he definitely expressed some negative opinions when we ran to yet another gate, boarded another flight and attempted to 'settle in' for the 5 1/2 hour flight. I was praying.. a lot. And so were many many other people, I'm convinced, because after only 45 minutes of juggling and bouncing and tears and fervently apologizing to the woman next to us for a drink spilled all down her legs... the sweet little man finally fell asleep. Grace, my friends, abundant grace right there. I don't think I've ever been so thankful for closed eyes and still body. He didn't sleep the whole way, but he was certainly more agreeable when he woke up.
Now, this isn't all that bad, you're saying to yourself. But just wait... here's the best part. We arrived in Honolulu at 10pm where we caught a taxi and headed to Waikiki because all the airport hotels were full. Again, not ideal, but I was secretly thrilled to go downtown. The hotel was incredible and, I should've realized, too good to be true. They looked at my airport issued voucher and quickly said 'Yeah, that's not going to work..' Apparently, the airlines forgot to list the payment information and there was no way for the hotel to charge for the room. A.k.a No way I was getting a key or chance to lay down on a bed. Owen turned on his charm and when that didn't work, he lost it. I may have also shed a few tears at this point as we turned around and went back out to the street to catch yet another taxi!
I won't bore you with the details of those six hours logged in the Honolulu airport. Let's just say, it wasn't pretty. There was a significant amount of homeless people biding their time and conversing with stuffed animals. There was also a significant lack of open coffee brewing establishments! Owen slept off and on, if I was pushing the stroller or holding him. I'd never fallen asleep mid-stride until this night.
Morning finally came, just in time for them to point me towards a different terminal and 'oh, you might not make it.. you should probably run!' were not the words I wanted to hear! We did make it, but not before setting off the alarms in security. Turns out hand sanitizer, when applied liberally throughout the entire night, can show up as bomb fragments on their hand swab. And yes, patting down my exhausted body was absolutely necessary and while we're at it, let's x-ray the shoes because there's just no telling what a terrorist could fit in a pair TOMS. Oh and they may have lost my bag at some point in the chaos. We've redefined 'worse case scenario' around here...
[one of my amazing bonus sisters!!]
Now, obviously, we survived the ordeal and made it home sweet home. Seeing Derek and collapsing in bed was infinitely more wonderful because of our perilous journey. Instead of scarring me for life, this traveling experience was actually incredibly empowering (after the fact, of course). I'm ready to fly anywhere; just give me another week or so to recover! But the true beauty of this trip wasn't even realized until a few days later when I was reading to Owen about Lazarus.
What I've never really grasped was why Jesus didn't go straight to Bethany when he heard that his friend was sick. He could have also healed him from afar, he'd done that before. But neither of those solutions takes place; Lazarus dies. By the time Jesus shows up, his friend has been buried for four days! And my heart wants to know why?? Why did he need to die, just to be brought back to life? Doesn't that seem like an unnecessary step? Why did Mary and Martha have to go through all that agony and sorrow, mourning the loss of their beloved brother! Talk about a worse case scenario! But Owen's children's Bible speaks the answer simple and true, it's so that God could be glorified. Isn't that always the answer?
We don't have to understand why awful things happen, and sometimes we never will! But God does not allow anything to touch us that He can't ultimately use for our good and His glory. In a world running rampant with death and evil and broken hearts, this feels incomprehensible. But that doesn't mean it's not the truth. I realize that my 'horror story' of an airport experience is so trivial compared to the painful journey that so many are walking. I'm simply saying that no matter our path and no matter how unfair, unneccessary or incredibly painful the circumstances may seem... God IS at work and He can always bring good from the mess. Our worse case scenario may just be what has to happen before He can bring us back to life!
[photo cred: Elizabeth J]
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” John 11:41-43
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