When I was accepted to the World Race Fusion in July, I knew that eventually I would be moving to Alabama. My parents live here now and rather than store my things in Colorado for a year we decided that I would move everything to their home. Also, my job ended in August so I would live here as I prepared for the Race not on my best friend’s couch, though that would have been fun. 🙂 Clearly moving to Alabama was the logical choice, and I was looking forward to spending time with my parents on the lake.
Then in August I felt God was opening the door to travel to Zambia for a month. In the spring, I had been working with a missionary in Zambia to get several boxes of books shipped to their school to build a library. It was a fun, challenging project that stretched my management and negotiation skills and ultimately succeeded beyond what I could have imagined. The books were to arrive September 30, and I had been in communication with the Pastor’s wife about traveling there and setting up the library. We agreed on some dates, I bought a ticket, then rushed my road trip a bit to get to Alabama about a week before I was to leave.
Just before I left Denver, I received an email from Pastor that the dates no longer worked. They needed me to reschedule but the cost was too prohibitive. Shortly after arriving in Alabama I canceled the ticket.
Then I pitched a bit of a fit.
It was just before the fall festivals, which I had planned to be in Zambia for, and I was in Alabama far from my congregation.
There were two concerts in Colorado I wanted to attend, and I was in Alabama.
A friend got very ill, was hospitalized overnight, and needed a babysitter, and I was in Alabama.
You get the idea. I was frustrated. I was missing out on what was happening back home in Colorado.
But
If I had been in Colorado I would have missed watching Dad joke with the contractors.
If I had been in Colorado I would have missed witnessing the impact Dad had on the people of his new church.
If I had been in Colorado I would not have gone swimming with Dad multiple times.
If I had been in Colorado Dad would not have taught me how to dive off the dock.
If I had been in Colorado Dad and I would not have read Clive Cussler novels together one last time.
If I had been in Colorado I would not have gone wake boarding one last time in 2014.
If I had been in Colorado Mom would have been all alone.
If I had gone to Zambia I would have been in Alabama a week and rushing the entire time to pack, been gone for a month, and then would have returned late on October 22. What I had planned would have given us 10 days. Instead because my Papa canceled my plans, Dad and I had a month and a half together.
Thank you Jesus for the blessing of canceled plans.
