TITLE: Revised: How to Lose an Airport By Loretta Keener 01/18/13 |
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
SEND ARTICLE TO A FRIEND |
Matthew 5:14 “… A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” KJV
The Word of God tells us that a city on a hill cannot be hid. The same applies to me regarding International Airport. Seriously, how can you lose an airport? 1. When you don’t do as you’re instructed. 2. And you do it in the dark!
For time sake I’ll try to give you a short version. My husband and I were to arrive at the Will Rogers International Airport one December night to pick up our long lost niece whom we had located earlier that year. We had her flown in from Florida for a surprise Christmas present to her grandfather. They had been separated over 30 years and this would be the second time she would see grandpa that year after all that time. They would finally be able to spend a week catching up.
I was so excited. I was thinking I had to get her arrival at the airport caught on video and take pictures with my husband greeting her after she landed. But, I wasn’t listening to any words of wisdom (mistake #1) my husband was saying to me in the car because I was too busy planning. I turned my cell phone on silent (mistake #2) and prepared my camera; now I was all set. Tim told me to stay in the car while he went in to get her. I explained very politely my idea to capture this “Memorex moment” and that I couldn’t stay in the car (mistake #3), I had to go in. He gave me what he thought was clear instructions where to park the car after I let him out. He said he would go in and find her and wait on me…so, he waited.
I drove off looking right at the parking garage, and I never saw any place to turn that would get me into the garage. So, I kept on driving. I made an exit thinking it would get back where I started and to try again. Oh, NO! It took me down rough bumpy roads in the middle of the boonies…in total darkness (mistake #4). All I could tell myself was, “keep your eyes on the airport, you can do it, don’t lose the airport, just keep it in your sights and you’ll be fine.” I drove in the dark thinking I was headed in one direction and 20 minutes later discovered I was going TOTALLY the opposite. It’s a good thing I put gas in the car after work or I would have been stranded in the middle of nowhere on this unplanned journey.
Mind you, I had forgotten my cell phone was on silent. It never occurred to me to call my husband (mistake #5). My only thought was to keep my eyes on the airport, don’t lose the airport. This whole time I’m MIA, Tim and our niece are standing outside on a cold December night waiting and looking for me, and wondering where in the world I went. He was dialing my phone like crazy to find me, but I never heard a thing. It never dawned on me that I put my phone on silent, or to call my husband. When I finally made my way back into the airport entrance I thought about my phone and to call Tim. Well, there were only a gazillion missed calls from him; then I knew I was in for it. I’d NEVER live this one down.
When we all made it safely back home that night (with my husband doing the driving), I had my defense prepared chalked full off perfectly good excuses of why I didn’t do what he told me to do. In the telling of my story and what had happened we all laughed so hard until the floor was almost full of tears and other bodily fluid. I never laughed so hard at myself. I learned to NEVER go against his instructions (about airport driving, that is) and I’ll never want to drive to the airport again and definitely not in the dark.
The verse in Mt 5:14 reminded me that in my times of trial when I'm feeling confused by unfamiliar territory that I must always keep my eyes on the Lord. He is that light shining so brightly He cannot be hid. If I will keep my eyes focused on him I will never be lost, I'll find my way home.
I don’t think I will ever read this passage of scripture again without thinking of this event. Thank God, the airport was well lit and in my view.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.