Best Laid Plans vs. Divine Appointment

      Today someone told me about a skit by the comedian Brian Regan, where he explains that the captain of an airplane never tells good news. It's usually something unwanted, something to do with engine failure or fire or a vital piece falling off. And that certainly remained true today (not the piece falling off mid-flight, by the way). I was ready to board my flight to Tokyo when it was announced that the maintenance crew had to repair the brakes and replace the tires, and that this would probably take "20 minutes." You can probably guess that it didn't last just 20 minutes. When we finally got underway, about an hour late, we suddenly came to a stop before takeoff. It seems that one of the tires was losing pressure. We went back to the gate, got it fixed, and took off 2 1/2 hours late. This would have been fine, without one small problem: our connecting flight left Tokyo exactly 2 1/2 hours after we were originally supposed to land. 

     So to make a long story short, I'm sitting in a Tokyo hotel room (paid for by the airline) after eating dinner (paid for by the airline). This wasn't exactly how I thought the first night of my trip would be. Although I went to college by myself this past year, this is my first time really staying alone (after all, at school I had my awesome roommates). I figure there must be a reason. I may never know it, but there's a reason we didn't meet that original itinerary. This is one of those issues I categorize as "God's problem, not mine."

     And I was thinking that this trip is a lot like life, too. We make our plans, we organize everything, we have itineraries all mapped out for the next ten years of our lives when God suddenly sends us in another direction. So, my fellow travelers, hang loose, enjoy the journey, and let Him pry the intricate schedules out of your fingers. Let God take care of it, not you.