Turn to Him in your hour of need
Photo: April Wefler
It was the final stretch. I was leaving my home of the past year to return to the homeland. But nothing was going as planned. The two carry-ons were over the allowed weight limit. I had to use more of my cash than I would've liked to in order to get one of the carry-ons checked in, and I had to do so quickly. Norwegian had already closed the bag drop, but reopened it and it wasn't difficult to tell the staff were annoyed. Both cards were declined.
Quick-thinking was needed. A prayer was said as cash was hurriedly transferred from one account into another on the bank's phone app. The card went through. The bags went through. The woman at the desk said I was to run as I had never run before.
Got held up at security after forgetting to remove deodorant and hand lotion from the backpack. Ran through the various shops, trying to get to the very far gate in time to catch the plane. And then, when I made it to the gate, my heart stopped. No one was there.
It didn't make any sense. I still had twenty minutes until departure. No one was at the desk. No one was sitting in the chairs, waiting for their turn to board. Gate 34 was completely empty. There were people with carry-ons behind the screen, obviously boarding the plane. I had missed my flight back to America. Norwegian had told two women also trying to get to Denver that the next flight was on Tuesday. It was Saturday morning.
I would have to get back to London and try to find lodging for three more nights. I had never missed my plane before, not while travelling by myself, anyway. I didn't know what to do.
Psalm 18:6 says, "In my distress, I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears."
I must've had that verse embedded on my heart because I started crying out to God. "God, I don't know what to do! I don't know what to do, please help me, God. Please." I couldn't get back to Cork. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to find a room in London, not so last-minute. All I knew was that I had to get back to America, much as I would've loved to stay in Europe, and I had to get back that day. And in my distress, I cried out to the Lord.
Likely not even five minutes later (but of course it felt like a lifetime,) I heard it: Denver, now boarding. Two gates over. I hadn't missed the plane at all. I was at the wrong gate! I hurried over and got into the queue to board.
It's possible that there was a mix-up with the gates. It's also entirely possible that I overreacted. But I firmly believe that if I had not cried out to the Lord that day, Denver would not have been boarding only two gates over.
In our distress, people will sometimes turn away from God, trying to fix their issues on their own. But God is there. He hears our cries. He may not answer right away and it might not be the response we want to hear, but He always answers.
All you have to do is lean on Him. Turn to the One who created you in your time of need.
And your plane might be boarding, two gates over.
