Cedarville University Peru Trip - Day 1

I had a long day today – the plan was to take the 6 o’clock shuttle from Chattanooga to Atlanta, catch the 10:15 flight to Columbus, arriving around 12 and leaving with the team back to Atlanta at 2:15.  There were many people praying for me – I know it, and things went incredibly smoothly.  From curbside check-in (so I didn’t have to carry the 160 lbs of luggage through the airport), to my gate being right at the top of the stairs, to the baggage claim and check-in in Columbus being one staircase apart. It was all too smooth!

We finally arrived in Atlanta around 3:00 for our 5:20 flight.  Again, everything went smoothly up until we boarded.  We sat at the gate from 5:00 till 6:40 – when we finally left for Lima.  Yeah, over an hour and a half in the plane at the gate.  No complaints, no whining, we just sat with everyone else and waited to leave.

The flight was rough, with the captain occasionally turning the seatbelt sign on.  Overall, though, it went rather quickly (6 ½ hours) and we arrived in Lima.  We tested the “luck” of the team members as we hit the button in customs, and 7 out of 10 of us (including me) ended up with red lights – meaning we had to get our bags screened.  After a brief delay, we met Jose and Lutgarda and headed to the hotel. 

We arrived at San Suites hotel at 3:00 in the morning.  The team was still high spirited, and looking forward to a great week.  Our bus leaves the station at 8:10 AM tomorrow, so we have a short night ahead of us. 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY: 3 times today I left the ground on a plane.  All three times the weather was dreary, snowy, overcast and miserable.  However, as the plane left the ground, we headed right up into those clouds and after a short time of total inability to see anything, we broke through a blanket of clouds and into a beautiful, sunny, blue sky.  The view was amazing.

It got me thinking about our daily lives and how occasionally things become overwhelming, miserable, dreary, and downright difficult to deal with.  But even in the darkest of days, I can be reminded that I have a father who is above it all – who sees the beauty that surrounds the clouds.  Who is not untouched by difficulties I face, but is able to carry me through it.  He will walk with me through those times, and if I follow His truth, I will rise above it. 

Just like the pilot trusts his instruments as he heads through the clouds to get the clear blue skies, it is imperative that I follow the instruction of my loving Father who wants nothing more than to see me obey and follow Him.