The Package Has Arrived September 11, 2008

Will update with photos and information later….in about 18 days!   Thank you all for your love and prayers!

Am I Missing Something? Part I September 10, 2008

Update– S was supposed to leave his location on Saturday, arrive in Baghdad, move on to Kuwait Sunday where he would then fly out for R&R, presumably to be home Monday.  Things do not always go as planned even when you’re a scheduler like me. 

Because of mechanical difficulties with his intended travel vehicle, he was late getting to Baghdad which made him late for his flight out to Kuwait.  He got put on another flight which later ended up accepting 35 soldiers from a previously cancelled flight,  bumping him to the next one.  FINALLY, he got to Kuwait sometime on Sunday night, too late to fly out.  (or was that Monday night?)  Either way, he called to let me know that he was definitely scheduled on a flight out of Kuwait, headed for the United States on Tuesday.  He was supposed to arrive in Atlanta at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday and then catch a jumper to Savannah.   Home by noon.  Things do not always go as planned even when you’re a scheduler like me.  

Now we are expecting S to arrive sometime later this afternoon…maybe even this evening. 

I found out this latest schedule by voice mail.  And that’s where I was missing something.  I slept with my cell phone next to the bed in case he called on his layover.  When at 6 a.m. I had not heard from him, I got up and started getting ready for our day, excited knowing that he was only 3 hours away from Atlanta.  I got on the computer to try to guess where he might be — New York?  over the Atlantic?  I have no idea where he would be in flight when he is 3 hours out.  While M and J were eating breakfast, I was checking the weather for today, hoping that S would have good travel conditions.  In the meantime, M says, “Mom, your phone is ringing.”  I quickly ran to my bedroom to get the phone only to have it stop ringing as soon as I picked it up.  Moments later, my phone alerted me to a new voice mail.  It was S.  He was letting me know that he was “closer to being with you but not as close as you might think.”  He was still in Ireland, planning to board the plane in 20 or 30 minutes.  The flight from there will take about 7 hours, putting him in Atlanta much later than anticipated and obviously later into Savannah… SIGH….

I don’t know what was more disappointing — the fact that he was still stuck or the fact that I missed him by one ring.  I was so upset that I had an opportunity to talk to him, and I missed it.  I missed his talking directly to me, communicating back and forth even if only to tell me news that I didn’t really want to hear.    When I got to the end of the voice mail, I wanted to say, “WAIT!!”  I wanted to tell him that we are still very excited.  I wanted to ask why he was delayed again.  I wanted to find out if he’s eaten, if he’s showered, if he’s been able to rest.  But I missed it….

Not 2 minutes later, God spoke to my heart….”How many times have I tried to talk to you one on one and you’ve missed me?  Missed the opportunity to hear my voice, to ask me questions, to have your questions answered?”   Am I too busy planning what is going to happen next that I miss hearing His call in the now? 

I have been keeping my cell phone with me at all times since S left because he said that he would be calling every chance he got to update us.  And when I thought we were in the clear and I wasn’t as concerned about having the phone at the ready, that’s when the call came through.  I should have known better.  Just like that,  we must be intentional in listening for God because He often speaks  with a still, small voice.  We need to be ready whenever the call comes through, for we surely do not want to miss His message.

Counting Down September 1, 2008

Clean house — in progress

Stock frig — in progress

Hair cut — check

Manicure/Pedicure — appt scheduled

Plan menu — check

Make chocolate chip cookie dough — check

Iron clothes — Thursday

Wash cars — Friday

Try to keep our minds on the present and manage one day at a time — in progress

We are so excited around this house that we can barely contain ourselves!!  Daddy is coming home in the next week!!  We have been making lists of our lists for the last several weeks, and the time to put it all into action is finally here!  The kids and I have been crossing off the calendar for the past 10 months.  We are down to days…I am hoping to get school done this week, and then we have a busy, busy weekend making sure that everything on our lists gets done. 

Besides getting everything ready around the house, we have been talking about what it’s going to be like at the airport, dreaming of how we will spend our days as a family, and sharing our favorite things about Daddy.   On the way home from the water park on Saturday, we were listening to a CD that S had made for me.  One of the songs, “Unbelievable”, says “You’re so kissable, huggable, lovable, unbelievable…”  I told M that I cannot wait to get my lips on Daddy.  M summed it up when she replied, “I cannot wait to get my skin on Daddy’s skin.  I just can’t wait to feel his skin.”  Yes, it has been a long 10 months, and the second that he steps off that plane will not be one second too soon.

So, of course, all this has set me to thinking…as excited as we are about S’s return for R&R, how excited do we get when we think of Christ’s return?  Are we making plans?  Are we preparing the homes of our hearts?  Are we preparing our families?  Do we talk of Christ’s return with such eager anticipation that we can hardly contain ourselves?  The Bible speaks clearly that He WILL return and that we must be ready.  Matthew 25:1-13 is the parable of the ten virgins, five who were foolish and five who were wise.  The five foolish girls did not prepare and take enough oil for their lamps while the five wise girls took oil not only in their lamps but in jars also so that when the midnight cry rang out, they would be more than ready.  I wonder if I am like the foolish girls or the wise girls.  Have I made the preparations?  Am I ready for the call of the bridegroom?

Although we are counting down to S’s homecoming, we will not know when he is officially arriving until he is already in the United States.  I know his departure date, but there are so many other variables that his arrival date could vary by several days.  All the more reason for us to have everything done around here BEFORE he ever leaves Iraq.  In the same way, Jesus said these words:

             Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.  It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes…You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.  Luke 12:35-37a,40

Get ready!  Make your preparations!  For the King of kings is coming soon!