So today is the day. After spending 3 days at launch and one sleepless night in the Atlanta airport, today is finally the day that my squad and I are flying out to our first country – the Dominican Republic! I was so excited as I stumbled through security this morning, that I didn’t even care that I was exhausted – I was finally leaving on the World Race! I was finally starting the adventure that would change who I am, not only as a person, but as a follower of God.
Then the unthinkable happened.
For those who know me, you know that I love Nutella. Nutella is this awesome chocolate hazelnut deliciousness that is pretty much a gift from God. Every time I go on a mission trip, I always take a jar or two. It’s a little treat that I give myself once or twice a year when I give up a week or month of comfort and go serve the Lord.
So this morning, I walked confidently through TSA security with my two jars of Nutella safely in my book bag…..just like I’ve done a million times before. Just like all the other flights for all the other mission trips. Then, tragedy struck. My bag got pulled to the side to be searched. The TSA went through my bag and informed me that I could not take my Nutella because it was a liquid. Pshh! For those who don’t know, Nutella is the same consistency as peanut butter. It’s gooey and delicious but definitely not drinkable. Which is what I politely informed the TSA lady. She politely disagreed.
That’s when I started begging. I told the lady that I was about to spend a year in third world countries and this was the ONE comfort that I was able to take with me. She had to understand! I NEEDED this Nutella!!! I always take Nutella with me on mission trips! I had never gone on a trip without it! Surely she had to understand!!!
She didn’t.
I watched in slow motion as the TSA lady took my jars of Nutella and chucked them in the trash. I slowly turned to walk away in disbelief, and the first person I saw was my awesome Squad Leader Dani. All I could say was “Dani, they took my Nutella.” Then the weirdest thing happened……I actually started crying!
Now guys, I love me some Nutella, but I never actually thought that I would cry if somebody ever took it from me. Everyone was watching and I found myself apologizing for crying! I knew that I was being absurd, but I couldn’t stop. Dani said it was understandable. That was my one comfort for this coming year. That was the one thing that had still been mine.
But in a way, it’s kind of appropriate that it was taken from me. This year isn’t like any other mission trip I’ve ever been on. This trip isn’t going to be another time that I only half commit to abandoning everything for the Lord. This year isn’t going to be another mission trip where I let distractions or comforts keep me from building a deeper relationship with my Heavenly Father. This year is going to be different. I’m going to be different. This year, I won’t take my Nutella.
