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Verse:“In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” —John 16:33, NKJV
There we were at the airport, ready to return home with great anticipation—until the ticket agent said, “You’re booked but not ticketed, and unless you pay six thousand dollars now, you can’t go on this flight.” Then she said, “There is no available ticket for Sunday because your tickets have been canceled, and all flights are full.” What had seemed too good to be true was just that—too good to be true. The car had been returned; we’d checked out of the hotel and discarded or given away all unnecessary items, such as food, water, and walking shoes. Now we would be staying two more days in Sydney at a greater expense due to the airlines’ mess-up. About two weeks before, the ticket agent had canceled the wrong ticket and created a major problem—unknown to us until that day. Now, after spending an extra hundred dollars for an unneeded taxi, two hours on the cell phone at the overseas charge, and returning to the hotel we’d checked out of almost four hours earlier, we had two options. We chose to make the best of the situation. The following quote is a good one to read every so often to get a better perspective on life’s unexpected challenges.
“God in His great love is seeking to develop in us the precious graces of His Spirit. He permits us to encounter obstacles, persecution, and hardships, not as a curse, but as the greatest blessing of our lives. Every temptation resisted, every trial bravely borne, gives us a new experience and advances us in the work of character building. The soul that through divine power resists temptation reveals to the world and to the heavenly universe the efficiency of the grace of Christ.”*
Returning to the airport on Sunday, we were thankful to see the same lady that had helped us on Friday and who knew our situation. We were able to fly out that afternoon. During that extra time in Sydney, we enjoyed a youth Sabbath program and time to take pictures and go for walks. We recharged and recuperated, not having realized how tired we’d become.
A few weeks later, we received a travel voucher from the airlines for $250 each. May God help us to make good choices when trials come, and may we remember He (Jesus) has overcome the world!
Rita Kay Stevens