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Sunday 12 March 2006

flexibility and a sense of humor

So... this morning I arrived at the Basel/Mulhouse Euro airport to take a flight to see my dear friend Bekah in Prague... after checking in, I made my way to the gate... through the security check where I got the pat-down, through the outside tunnel that takes you to easy jet. I purchased a bottle of water (since easy jet does not give that stuff away for free) and settled in to wait.
I read the copy of Oscar Wilde's "The picture of Dorian Gray" for about an hour and then I saw everyone around me getting up and lining up at the gates... I say gates because the flight to Madrid was leaving around the same time and the gates were almost one gate... and there was a bit of confusion on the parts of the potential passengers because they were not sure which flight was boarding. I helped out a group of young college guys who were discussing if it was for their flight or not.. I walked by and told them it was the flight to Madrid... as I walked away I heard them saying to each other.. ."she speaks English!" :-) fun times.
So we are all gathered for our respective flights and I see the desk clerks discussing with the ground crew... and they are not announcing that boarding will occur... I start to think... uh oh... It looked like all the workers were trying to decide who would have to address the crowd.. poor guy... as he began to speak in German you could hear the collective groan and array of dismays... I understood enough German to know that the flight was cancelled due to snow... in Prague.
"and if everyone would follow...they would take us to our luggage and we could re book flights via phone. internet (that word is the same in any language) or at the info desk.
So... the amoeba of a group (all with cell phones to ears or text messages flying) made its way to the security check point and stopped. You can't go through security backwards you know... :-) so they had to stop traffic and then... at the go ahead we all poured through security and to the Info desk... yeah... crazy people.
So... about 1 hour later, I left that desk with a flight out on Wednesday and a return 1/2 hour later on Wednesday and the dear young man who helping me was very aplogetic and asked me to call the service desk to have them fix it. With that... I went to collect my small suitcase (small enough for carryon... but I didn't want to carry it on)
I must say... I know more about the Euro Airport than I ever wanted to know.
And as I made my way out to where Brad had been waiting for the past 45 minutes... it suddenly hit me what had happened and I was exhausted. But... as I told him... after a lot of thank yous, was this: "It is frustrating... but no one's fault. So really... I can't be upset."
So I thank God for teaching me to be flexible... one of the first things I learned about missions 14 years ago. And that He gave me the ability to see humor in the whole thing. ... much less stressful than those who were about to pop a blood vessel. :-)

Oh...and I now have a flight in on Wednesday and out on Saturday... God is good and faithful

8 comments:

  1. Oh the joy of flying in Europe in the winter!!! Glad you could re-book.

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  2. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

    3 Timothy 24:7

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  3. What a fantastic story! They are not always the most exciting while they are happening but afterwards they sure are fun to look back, re-tell and have a good laugh. Glad your making fun memories! And that you still get to go see Beks! :)

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  4. Oh Mel... maybe the train next time. At GSCC we are going through James right now, your story should be used as an object lesson. It's all about your perspective.
    I like the quote by Nate.

    ~tracy

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  5. Hey Melissa, Sure glad that your faith is being tried and proven to be true. Ya! Ich habe spatlich meine Deutche Bibel studiert. Viel spass.
    Tchuss,
    Janie

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  6. see you tomorrow morning baby!!!

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  7. I always thought that flexibility was one of the most useful spiritual gifts. Keep smiling, Melissa - I hope your trip goes well! - Jamie K

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  8. I always thought that flexibility was one of the most useful spiritual gifts. Keep smiling, Melissa - I hope your trip goes well! - Jamie K

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