Am I Missing Something? Part I

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.