Airplane Time

Airplane time has to be good for something, right? I mean suffering through 10 hours in coach on a completely full plane, elbow to elbow with a complete stranger has to pay off. I’ve done so much of this international travel the last 10 years I’ve compiled hundreds of stories regarding air travel. Like the time the mom, not my wife, just the mom of the kids sitting next to me, allowed me to monitor her kids while she slept and watched movies. Not sure why I did this. Guess I just felt sorry for them. Anyhow, they climbed all over me, flipped through my books, stole my headphones, pulled back my eye mask when I tried to sleep, and best of all puked all over my shoes. The worst thing was the mother didn’t even attempt to help clean up the child. That was a good one! Another favorite was on the first of two 10 hour flights home from Africa where the guy behind me yelled and kicked every time I tried to lay my seat back. Said he couldn’t see the T.V. Well pardon me! To avoid a national (or world) crisis I slept upright all 10 hours. I’ve paid my dues! Surely some good can come from flying.

Now that I think about it, I haven’t written in my journal or wrote for that matter in over a year. This is one of my favorite things to do. I also love a good book. Another thing I rarely find time to do. I actually have two books I plan on reading during this trip.

But, you know, more than anything, travel and time alone are good for reflection. Just inside my notebook I keep a statement I wrote after my last job change. “Drive by a desire to succeed. Motivated by a fear of failure.” I’ve never really read between the lines of this statement but it probably symbolizes all the good and bad in me. I am a very driven person. I hate to fail. Failure is not an option. I think about my work as a salesman and how hard it can be to live the daily rollercoaster of sales. One second you are high, the next you are as low as a snake’s belly (to quote my dad).

You may wonder what any of this has to do with my trip to Romania. I did after all promise to blog on the trip! Well guess what. I want this trip to be a success as well. I promised Ovidiu the day I moved home that one day we would work together to fulfill His will for Romania. Upon my job change from Buckner I was freed up to do just this. I promised God I would be ready the second He wanted me to use the experiences and resources He gave me to serve Romania. Shortly after He took me up on that promise when Pioneer Drive Baptist Church came calling.

Ten months later, here we are! I don’t know what’s next. Gotta see how this goes first! I know there are other churches and individuals interested in working in the villages of Romania. And I know the needs are great. The rest of the puzzle I’ll just leave up to God.

Regardless, failure is not an option! I figured that out on an airplane!

Thanks for taking this ride with me. Aspire to new heights!