Through living at Love & Hope, God is teaching me to be flexible, to embrace change and the unknown. Each day is different and hardly ever goes as planned. How could it when I live with thirty other people, twenty-four of them children?
Tuesday was a perfect example. I planned to complete a few projects in the office and to grocery shop in the afternoon. In between, I wanted to ride along to the airport to say goodbye to Justin, who's returning home after a year of serving the Home.
This is what actually happened:
8:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Morning devotion, breakfast and review grocery list with the cook.
10:30 a.m. Leave for the airport.
10:35 a.m. Stop for pupusas.
11:10 a.m. Leave the pupuserÃa.
11:40 a.m. Arrive at the airport, bid Justin farewell.
11:45 a.m. Take Jocelyn to use the airport restroom.
11:50 a.m. Discover that Justin isn't allowed on his flight because he arrived fifty minutes before take-off (ten minutes too late).
12:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Wait in the airport with Daniela and Jocelyn while Rachel and Justin talk to airline representatives in El Salvador and the U.S., trying to procure a flight home the next day, with no change fee.
2:30 p.m. Leave the airport after Justin successfully confirmed a flight home at 7:40 a.m. the following day, free of charge.
3:00 p.m. Fifteen minutes away from home, driving up the hill, decide to turn around and drive to San Salvador to get ice cream cones at Burger King.
3:15 p.m. Decide to go to McDonald's.
3:20 p.m. Decide to eat at Wendy's, which we already passed.
3:21-3:29 p.m. Use a retorno to turn around, pass the Wendy's again (located on the other side of the highway and we can't turn left), use another retorno to end up on the correct side of the highway.
3:30 p.m. Arrive at Wendy's. Order frostys and fries.
4:30 p.m. Arrive at home.
My checklist was destroyed. I didn't review our financial plan with Kelly. I didn't go grocery shopping. I didn't enter receipts into Quick Books. But instead of giving into frustration, I chose to enjoy the opportunities God handed me.
While I waited at the airport, I enjoyed spending time with Jocelyn and Daniela. In fact, at one point Daniela and I even wrestled a little, resulting in both of us sprawled on the sidewalk. It surprised us and we laughed right along with everyone else who witnessed our fall.
While I waited at the airport, I enjoyed spending time with Jocelyn and Daniela. In fact, at one point Daniela and I even wrestled a little, resulting in both of us sprawled on the sidewalk. It surprised us and we laughed right along with everyone else who witnessed our fall.
I enjoyed our spontaneous trip to Wendy's and celebrated Justin's delayed departure by splurging on a medium frosty.
And on the way home, because it was such as beautiful day, I decided to ride in the back of the pick-up. It may not be the safest way to travel, but it's true Salvadoran style, and it felt good to have the sun shining down, the wind blowing my hair and the beautiful scenery flashing by.
Tuesday, like most days, didn't turn out how I planned. It was better.
