It's My Pleasure

For as much as I love working at Chick-fil-A, for as much joy as I find in playful interactions with guests and co-workers, and for as much of a pleasure as it is to serve people with kindness, nothing - and I mean NOTHING - delights my heart like when my Father gives me a kiss.

Yesterday I started off working at the front counter, moved to the drive-thru window to cover for somebody's break, then got positioned back at the front counter. Where I anticipated spending the rest of the day - because that's how it usually goes. But after some time my manager asked me to come over to drive-thru and do drinks so that person could cover for someone else who needed to be in another place so another individual could take their break.
Or something like that.
The details weren't important.
So I went over and started making drinks for drive-thru. Mind you, I have never really "done" drinks before, but I have certainly been on the receiving end of that job a lot and I was sure I could handle it. However, I quickly realized that getting drinks in drive-thru is a lot different than getting them for my guests at the front counter. Extra steps like "bumping" orders off the screeen, making sure everything is marked correctly, and keeping track of drive-thru vs. moblie order needs had me feeling like I was always forgetting something. Not to mention the speed with which the rest of the crew was moving. I know drinks are supposed to be the first thing handed out the window, and keeping up with them was a challenge - let alone keeping ahead of them!
So, anyway, I was doing my very best. But I kept feeling like I was lagging behind, or not doing as good of a job as other people do. And I started allowing myself to think negative thoughts about myself.
And then?
I overheard my co-worker at the window as he tendered the current transaction.
"You're change is $11.11."
I mean, that's what he said.
But what HE said was more like, Karen, dear, you may stop with the negative thoughts now. You're doing a fine job. And, remember, I love you regardless of how quickly you get these drink orders ready.
And the smile on my face got very big as I realized, I had just been kissed by the King.

It's My Pleasure

If you're friends with me on Facebook you may have seen the post I shared last Friday when this scene occurred. (In which case, I apologize for the repeat.) But I couldn't wait to talk about it then, and it's too sweet not to write about in this week's edition of It's My Pleasure.
So, prepare to have your heart delighted by God's kindness.

One Saturday during last July I had precious interactions with a young boy who was having lunch at Chick-fil-A with his mother and brothers. (You may read the whole story here, if you wish.) And since that day I have thought of Connor many times, wondering if our paths might cross again sometime while I'm at work. Hoping they would. Realizing they may not.
But then there was last Friday.
I was stationed at the register closest to the entrance and was doing my best to make myself visable to the folks at the front of the line - all the way at the other end of the counter. That is to say, the entrance to my left and the front of the line to my right, I was not paying a lot of attention to my left side.
Until I heard a small voice coming from that direction saying, "Karen???"
And when I turned to see who was calling my name, there he was.
Recognizing my young friend I said, "Connor???" He smiled.
Then I loooked at the woman in front of me and asked, "Will you excuse me very quickly, please?" And I ran over to give that little guy a hug. It was a brief but very sweet reunion which allowed me to tell him I've been thinking about him and was so glad to see him again.
But then I had to get back to work.
I didn't see Connor and his family as they proceeded through the line. Didn't wait on them at my register, or notice when they passed by to go to the dining room. But before they left Connor came up to me so I could refresh his lemonade, and that gave me the opportunity to talk with him and his mother for a few moments. His mother told me that they know several people at their church who also work at Chick-fil-A, and she said Connor has gotten into the habit of asking them, "Do you know Karen?" Seems my little friend has been thinking about me, as I have been thinking about him. And it delighted my heart to consider how simple kindnesses shown to a young boy - over the course of maybe 20 minutes - could have such a significant impact.
Indeed, it inspired me to look for more opportunities to just be kind.

Oh, and when I returned to my register after first seeing Connor and giving him a hug? The guest who had allowed me to step away for that moment paid for her $8.89 meal with a $20 bill.
Which made her change $11.11.
And I knew at that moment - seeing Connor was a gift God had arranged for me. Can't keep the smile off my face even now, as I cherish the thought of HIS sweet kindnesses.

It's My Pleasure

So Wednesday morning I was working in the drive-thru when I looked on the screen for the next order and saw the name, "Mark". Then Mark pulled up to the window and I noticed an "A&W" logo on his shirt. And I paused.
And I looked more intently at his face.
And I searched the recesses of my memory.
And I blurted out, "Mark Mulder???!!!"
At which point he looked at me in shock (Or was it panic? I'm not sure.) and said, "Yes. Who are you?"
I replied, "Karen Hoss, er, I used to be Karen Sheaffer. And you were my very first boss, 31 years ago at A&W in Grand Ledge!"
"Whoa! What have you been doing since then?" he asked. And I gave the brief synopsis: went to college, got married, raised three kids, and now here I am - back in the drive-thru. He told me briefly about his family, we exchanged pleasantries, I gave Mark his order, and that was that.
As the day progressed I reflected back on that fun trip down memory lane several times. And more than once I pondered, How odd is it that 31 years after my first-ever job I am back doing the same thing? Forty-seven years old, working in the drive-thru. Hmmmm. What am I doing here???
But just about each time that what-am-I-doing-here thought entered my mind either someone ordered a meal for $11.11, or some cute kid caught my eye and we started playing peek-a-boo, or a distraught adult let me know they were having a rough day and I tried to offer encouragement, or God in some other way reminded me that He called me to work at Chick-fil-A for such a time as this.
Truly, I love my job.
I love the interactions I have with all the different people.
I am delighted by opportunities to speak life, and share smiles.
While taking orders, serving drinks, fetching dipping sauces, and passing out food may not be glamorous or exciting or prestigious or anything most adults would aspire to do, I love what doing those things allows me to do:
To love people.
To offer encouragement to a needy soul.
Whatever it is the Lord calls me to do and say.

My name is Karen Hossink. I am 47-years old. I work at Chick-fil-A - in the drive-thru, at the front counter, in the dining room - doing work a teenager can do.
My goal is not to become a manager and take over the place.
I simply want to be the best employee I can be, providing the best service I can give, all for God's glory.
It's my pleasure!!!

It's My Pleasure

So Monday I was at work - making eye contact, smiling at guests, speaking enthusiastically, and making connections. I was moving as quickly as I could while still doing my best to not rush people or make them feel pressured. My recollection is that I was even being successful in order accuracy and efficiency.
From the outside, I imagine everything looked splendid.
But I knew it wasn't.
That is, on the inside of me I didn't feel enthusiastic. The words I spoke came at the expense of a whole lot of effort. The smiles weren't necessarily sincere. And I frequently found myself glancing at the clock to see how much longer I had to work.
I couldn't put my finger on any one thing which was causing me to feel this way. It just seemed like I was in a funk, and I wanted nothing more than to get out of it.
Then something wonderful happened.
A woman came to my register and ordered a salad.
Nothing else. Just a salad.
Which totaled $8.89.
The majority of people pay with credit cards, so I was anticipating she would do the same thing. However, when she pulled out her wallet and reached for a bill I readied myself to accept payment and collect her change. But when I saw her retrieving a $20 bill my heart skipped a beat. The smile on my face became ultra-sincere. I nearly let a tear roll down my cheek. And as I was tending the money a loving voice echoed in my heart, Yes, dear one, I am with you.
Then I looked my guest in the eye, I smiled at her brightly, and I said, "You're change is $11.11."
She got her salad. I got kissed by the King.

Responding to His Nudge

So, Friday I mentioned 11:11 and the joy I have in knowing God's faithfulness. Particularly when He makes that number show up at moments when I need encouragement from Him. And it truly is a delight to my heart when HE provides that comfort.
But the whole 11:11 thing started off as a prayer cue between Brian and me when we were college students - and it remains a prompting God uses to have me pray for my husband.
It is also a story I have shared many times. And as I have told others about God's nudge to have me pray for Brian whenever I see 11:11, I have heard tales about how He has made specific numbers significant in their lives.
So, I began praying for these friends at their "appointed" time, as well.
3:33 for one.
And 4:44 for another.
Well, Sunday afternoon I "happened" to look at the clock at 4:44 and as I prayed for Jody I smiled at the thought of God's amazing love and care for His children. Because I've been seeing 4:44 quite frequently in recent weeks - even in the middle of the night sometimes - and it just makes me so happy to know that HE is thinking of her, and calling me to pray. So I grabbed my phone and sent her a quick text. I figured - if God is nudging me to pray for her so often, perhaps she could use the encouragement to know about it.
What I wasn't expecting was the encouragement I would get in return.
That is, she texted back right away to let me know that she had seen 11:11 and 1:11 on her clock the day before and took it as God's nudge for her to pray for me. She recogninzed that God had us on each other's hearts, and wanted to share the encouragement.
Ahhhh, what a blessing.
To be called on by God to lift up another, and to find that He is calling others to lift you up, too!
God's faithfulness and care will delight me all of my days.

It's My Pleasure

Oh, the stories I could tell about the faithfulness of GOD.

*peaceful, grateful, delighted sigh*

See, the thing is, I had a rough day at work earlier this week.
OK. Maybe I'm being too extreme when I say it was "rough".
The truth is, it just wasn't "great" like they usually are.
For starters, it was cold and rainy, and being in the drive-thru window was a little miserable. (PSA: When you're at the window of a drive-thru and it's raining, go ahead and turn off your wipers. Otherwise they *might* repeatedly flick water on the drive-thru attendant and even splash his/her glasses. Just sayin'.) At one point, I handed the wrong drink to a guest and realized my mistake too late.
I felt terrible, she was not happy, and my apology seemed to be meaningless to her.
As the day went on - try as I might - it was just difficult to feel sincere in my enthusiasm. Ya know?
So the next morning as I drove to work I was praying. Asking my Father to help me do things correctly. Recognizing my inability to do anything apart from His grace. Believing HE could keep me from re-entering the funk I was in the previous day.
Amen.
And then, can I just tell you what HE did???
All day long (My shift was 6:30-3:00.) my Father was slipping me love-notes in the form of four little numbers.

1111

I mean, I only saw it on the clock once. But there was an unusual number of people that day whose bill or change due was $11.11. And each time I saw those numbers I smiled as I just knew God was reminding me of His presence. HE was assurring me that HE had heard my prayers in the morning, and HE was helping me. In the midst of taking orders, and handing out drinks, and offering smiles and kind words - God was showing me His faithfulness and HE made sure I knew it was Him.
And each time 1111 popped up in front of me - and I smiled and whispered a prayer of thanksgiving - I could swear I heard Him whisper back to my heart, It's My pleasure.

Confessions of a Control Freak *re-post*

OK, so last week was my first week back to work. And, uh, it's taking some adjusting.
So, let's just say I didn't have a chance to record a video devotion.

Fortunately, I have an archive full of devotions from which to pull, and I found one I wanted to re-share.
I recorded this video shortly after Brian and I returned from a cruise we took two years ago. (The cruise we were going to take on our 10th anniversary, which became the one we were going to take for our 20th anniversary. Which we finally got around to seven months before our 21st anniversary.)
Anyway, I had completely forgotten this incident happened (The one I'm going to mention in the video. Not the cruise!) and it brought me such joy to be reminded. Hoping and praying God will use this to encourage you in your journey today.

Confessions of a Control Freak

OK, God. I Hear You.

Some days I think God must look at me and simply shake His head. Karen, do we need to go over this again?
Oh, how thankful I am for His patience with me.

It was Friday night. Brian had a big test at work and was going to go out with some classmates after work to unwind for 'a while'. He called me to remind me of his plans. Of course, I'd forgotten. So I set into making dinner, not knowing if he'd be home to eat it, or not.
As I was getting everything ready, I started to run through my list of It isn't Fair.
*It isn't fair that Brian gets to go out after work tonight.
*It isn't fair that I have to come home every day after work and make dinner.
*It isn't fair that I tend to people's needs all day and have to come home and do it all over again.
*It isn't fair that it's so easy for Brian to go out and have fun.
*It just isn't fair. (pouty face)

Right about then, I turned to look at the time. The oven said, 11:11.
Seriously.
I wasn't making dinner that late. Our oven is just messed up.

As you may recall, 11:11 is my prayer cue for Brian. And as I looked at those bright green numbers on the oven, I was sure I heard God loud and clear. My dear child, please stop your whining. I may have a very good reason for your husband to be out tonight. I may want him to develop some relationships for My glory. I may want him to speak of Me to one of his co-workers tonight. Please don't whine about what you think is unfair. It would delight Me if you would pray for him, instead.

So I did.

And God changed my heart!

HE Did It Again

I just have to boast about God today!

So, last week at work we were having a Fourth of July party. (Had it Friday, because the office was closed Monday.) And for weeks leading up to the party I was trying to find volunteers who could come in and help me set up, serve, and clean up. It isn't a huge job, but it is definitely too much for me to do on my own.
So, anyway, I was trying to find volunteers.
And I was striking out. What? Does everyone have to leave for the holiday weekend Friday morning??? I was holding out hope for one young lady who was going to call me early Friday to let me know if she'd be able to make it, or not.

Friday morning as I was having my quiet time I prayed and told God, I know You know my needs today - at work and at home. And I know You can meet them perfectly. I'm asking You, God, to do just that.
HE has always been faithful. HE has always provided what I needed. And often times HE has waited until nearly the last minute to show me how things are going to work out. (Seems God isn't very concerned about my desire to have everything planned out way ahead of time. Cuz I wouldn't need to trust so much that way.)

Fast forward a few hours...

I heard a page that I had a phone call on line one, so I went over to answer the call. It was Daisy, and I hoped she had good news for me.
"Can you come this afternoon?" I asked.
"Yes, I can," was her reply, and my heart did a little jump for joy. I just knew God would come through for me!
At that moment I was staring at the clock on the phone, and my smile got even bigger. Guess what time it was?

11:11

I'm not kidding!

For those of you who don't know the significance of 1111, click on the '1111' in the labels below and you can read all about it. *grin*

No Kidding!

Sunday in church our worship leader took a moment to speak about marriage. He then had all the married couples sit down, as he asked everyone standing around them to lay hands on them and pray. While I was seated there next to Brian, I heard Matthew say, "Hey! Look what time it is!" You guessed. It was 11:11. No kidding!

My Favorite Day of the Year

It's November 11 today!

11-11

My favorite day of the year.

And in honor of it, I'm re-posting an entry from April of 2008, which explains why I am so fond of this number.

God's Signature

More and more I am becoming convinced God has a special thing with me and the number eleven, eleven. If you don't know the story behind it, please click over to this post and read about it.
A couple of weeks ago when I met Sue from Praise and Coffee we had lunch together. She didn't have her glasses and when our checks came she held hers up and asked me to tell her what it came to. It was $11.11. I chuckled, prayed for Brian, and told Sue the story of eleven eleven.
Last week I emailed a friend from small group and she replied (knowing the significance of that number), "Cute how you sent that email at 11:11." I didn't. Her computer was an hour off, but she saw the number and emailed it to me. So, of course, I prayed for Brian again.
Recently I was in the van with the kids, and Matthew piped up, "Mom, you might want to look at the clock." I thought, What for? We aren't on a schedule. We aren't late for anything. But I looked and saw it was 11:11.
This morning I was driving and glanced at the clock at 11:11 without anyone prompting me. (Well, I guess God prompted me.)
And just moments ago I was transferring files of a couple pictures onto my computer. I waited for the transfer to take place and looked at the bottom of the screen where I saw, "Taken 02/07/08 11:11 AM." So I am thanking God for my hubby and praying He will guide him through this day.

These events are fun to think of, but what happened Sunday just tickles me. God treated us to pizza!

We went to Pizza Hut for dinner to celebrate the boys' reading accomplishments with their BookIt certificates. (That's Pizza Hut's reading incentive program. A free personal pan pizza when you reach your monthly reading goal.) We placed our order and waited. And waited. The kids complained it was taking awhile, but I really hadn't noticed.
Eventually, our waiter came and told us he had forgotten to turn in our order so we were going to be getting a 50% discount off of our bill. When he left I smiled at the kids and said, "Well, that's a nice gift from God, isn't it?"

No one will be able to convince me it wasn't a gift from God.

When our bill arrived I turned it over and started to laugh. Do you know what our discount was?
$11.11!
I showed it to Brian and he said, "God's signature!" Yeah, that combined with the BookIt certificates made our total bill come to $4.37. Not bad for dinner for a family of five. Thanks, God!

I love that concept of God's signature. It seems He is using that number to remind me of His hand at work, like a secret code between us. Though I guess it isn't so secret anymore. *grin*
May I encourage you today to keep your eyes open to the ways God is working around you and communicating His love? What a delight it is to sense His presence. Seek Him today, my friend!

Pharmacy Notes

*BIG sigh*

We made it!

Yesterday we 'went live' with a new computer system in the pharmacy. There has been a lot of anticipation for this move, and I was nervous as I approached the doors. Usually I am praying that God would use me to be a blessing, that He would help me see things, that I would be His instrument. Yesterday I was praying I would simply survive the day!
Honestly, the transition wasn't as bad as I had expected.
Several 'trainers' were available (And I think they'll be around for a week, or so. *whew!*) to answer questions and show us how to navigate the new system.
But at one moment - when I was in a particularly stressful situation - God reminded me that the One I really need was with me. And I remembered that He'll stay with me for all of eternity - not just a week, or so.
What happened?
Well, we were attempting to figure out what happened to a prescription, trying a couple different approaches on the computer, unable to ignore the long line of customers waiting for assistance - when I got to the point in the transaction where I needed to verify the person's birth date. I saw the date on the screen and smiled hugely as she chimed, "Eleven eleven."

I love it when God encourages me like that. Love that HE works in the pharmacy, too.

Heart Check

Last week I made plans to take my kids to a park. We were going to meet some friends there, have a picnic together, go swimming, fishing, play on the play ground. Whatever. My kids always enjoy this park and I was looking forward to taking them there. *Read this: I was happy it was my idea to go. Was anticipating their pleasure in me arranging this outing for them.*
The morning of our outing to the park arrived and I busied myself making sandwiches and packing our lunch while Joshua and his friend flooded the yard searched for worms to take fishing. I was singing and happy to be getting ready - when Matthew told me he really didn't want to go.

What???

I don't even remember his reason for suddenly being against the idea, but I remember my disappointment. And how quickly I became irritated. I'd made these plans. My plans were supposed to bring enjoyment to my kids. And now my son was saying he didn't want to go? Had he forgotten all the times in the previous week he complained to me of his boredom?
I reminded Matthew of his boredom complaints and told him I was leaving for the park in two minutes. If he wanted to come along, he needed to be ready and in the van.

Then Elizabeth told me she really didn't want to go, either.

Grrrr.

Seemed she had also forgotten about the recent, 'There's nothing to do,' comments. So I reminded her of them and reasoned with her that she should come to the park with us.

At this point, a significant portion of my excitement about taking my kids to the park was waning. I had really expected them to be happy about going. Usually they are asking me to take them here or there. But this time I was volunteering to take them, and I thought - somehow - that should make the outing more special to them. I thought they would reason, Hey, Mom is doing this for me. And she's made a picnic for us. This is going to be so fun!
But instead, I had been met with resistance. And I was irritated.

To top it all off, as I finally got Elizabeth and Matthew in the van with all our necessary things, I realized Joshua and his friend were still busy flooding the yard gathering worms. I thought, Great. Now we're going to be late to meet our friends, too. *humpf*

And I started the van - to signify to Joshua that I was serious about it being time to leave.

But before I went a step further, God grabbed hold of my heart.

This song was playing on the radio:
The chorus was playing and I couldn't ignore the revelation God opened up before my eyes. I quickly became aware how full of me I was at that moment. This day was supposed to be about my kids, and suddenly it had become all about me.

I was upset because my kids weren't responding to my efforts the way I wanted them to.

As the tears welled up in my eyes, I joined in singing the chorus.
Lord, empty me of me so I can be filled with You!

And as I waited for the boys to get the rest of their worms, I prayed and asked God to help my children and me have a nice time together at the park. So thankful that He had spoken to me about my heart - to get me off the irritable track and onto His.

Oh! And the reason I knew I needed to pay attention to that song on the radio?
When I turned on the van and looked at the clock - it was 11:11.

*wink*

Pharmacy Notes

Monday could have been remembered as a really bad night at work. *Our communication with insurances went down so everything was taking longer. And most customers weren't happy about that problem. *There was the man whose daughter's doctor (apparently) called prescriptions into two different pharmacies, whose wife tried to (angrily) solve the problem with one of the pharmacies, which resulted in him driving all around town looking for said prescriptions, while his little girl sat at home with a fever - waiting for her medicine. (His rendition of this story was not as calm or kind as mine. LOL!) *Let's not forget the pregnant woman who let me know how angry she was because we were out of the pre-natal vitamin she needed. I didn't bother to ask why she waited until she was out of vitamins to come get her prescription refilled. (Oh! Did I really just say that out loud? *grin* I mean, I understand 'pregnancy brain' but when did that involve being unkind to me???) *And, there's also the point that we were too busy for me to take my break. Not necessarily a big deal, but in the midst of it all - 15 minutes to sit down and have a snack would have been nice. However, as the closing hour was getting near and a customer's amount due came to $11.11, I smiled and thanked God for carrying me through the difficult evening. But it wasn't until after 9:00 when I was closing the window that I understood God wasn't just saying, I carried you. He was also saying, I Am not finished yet. Just as I was about to get the window closed (It had given me some trouble closing. Guess Who was behind that???) a woman came around the corner, asking if we were still open. I apologized and said we were closed. And my co-worker gave her two options for 24-hour pharmacies, which - unfortunately - weren't very near to us. This woman looked quite frazzled and the pharmacist told me to ask what she needed. I asked, and the pharmacist said she would get it ready for her. When I came back to the counter, I saw tears in the woman's eyes and I went to get her a tissue. Upon returning, I asked if she was OK and that's when she let out her stress and the fears which had been piling up the past two days. She told me about her son's accident and hospitalization, about her responsibility to watch over him now that he's home, and her fear that she wasn't going to notice if something goes wrong. As I listened to her, I was so glad the pharmacy was 'closed'. There was no one else there who needed my attention - no customers waiting in line - no one. I was able to give this dear mother my full attention, and I was so thankful. She thanked me for my kindness, and I told her that everything about me comes from my faith in God. And I asked if I could pray for her. That's when she told me her faith is also in God. So we approached Him together - there in the pharmacy. We said, "Amen," I gave Karen her son's prescription, and promised to continue praying for them. And I am. I will likely never see Karen again, here on earth. But I know God has His eyes on her and I am so thankful for the opportunity to be a brief part of her life. God is good!

Pharmacy Notes

So Tuesday afternoon I was walking into work, praying and asking God to make me sensitive to His Spirit - asking Him to help me honor Him in the pharmacy. I worked every night this week and, honestly, I didn't have the best attitude about it. I would rather have been home so I could eat dinner with my family. I would rather have been home so I could walk Matthew home from school. But I am trusting that God has a plan with this whole thing we're going through, and I knew I needed to be in communion with Him - that He might change my heart.

So I prayed.

And with one of my very first customers, God reminded me He's in this circumstance and I can trust Him with the results.
It wasn't anything this particular customer said to me. There was nothing extraordinary about our interaction.
God spoke through the change.
That is, the customer's items totaled $28.89 and he paid me with $40.
Do the math.
When I put his money in the drawer and looked up at the screen, this is what I saw:

Amount paid: $40.00
Amount owed: 28.89
Change due: $11.11

I got a huge smile on my face as I counted out eleven dollars and eleven cents to give to my customer. And as I handed it to him, it was almost as if I could hear God saying to me, Trust Me, Karen. I will make the necessary change in you.

Love, love, love it when He does stuff like that!

The Darkness Will NOT Hide Me

This Week's WORD

After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."

John 11:11

On Wednesday I had some heavy things on my mind when I sat down to do my daily Bible reading. As I checked my reading schedule and discovered that I was in John 11 that day, I wondered what verse 11 might have to say. (For those of you who don't know, God and I have a 'thing' with 1111.)
And, sure enough, as I read verse 11, it was as if God was saying to me, See, Karen. I already know what's going on in your life. And I know what I'm going to do about it.

Thank You, God!

May the peace of knowing God's sovereignty carry you through this weekend.
I'll see you back here Monday!

And if you haven't sent a question to Amanda yet, I hope you will!

Now I Understand

OK. Are you ready for this???
The conclusion of my Southern Adventure?
Sunday morning I got up very early to make sure I made it to the airport on time for my flight home. I sat in the hotel lobby, waiting for the shuttle to arrive, and got a big ol' grin on my face when I looked over at the elevators and saw that two of them were sitting at the eleventh floor. 11 11, again.
OK, Lord, I prayed, I know You're in this. Please show me the reason for this change in plans.
Once at the airport, I sat with a bunch of other passengers - waiting for a flight attendant. Don't know what was slowing her down, but for some reason she was late and we weren't boarding the plane without her. Several times, an announcement came over the speakers that we would be boarding shortly, and making our connecting flights in Atlanta shouldn't be a problem.
In spite of the fact we took off nearly an hour later than scheduled, I'm telling you, I have never seen a faster boarding and take-off process than the one I experienced when that flight attendant reported for duty yesterday morning. Quite impressive, I thought. And the captain said he would get us to Atlanta ASAP.

That was all well and good, but I did find myself thinking, With such a short lay-over, how am I going to have this meeting I have been anticipating all night? Maybe it will be with the person I'm seated next to on the flight to Detroit. I'm sure God has it figured out.
Well, our plane landed in Atlanta about 9:10 and I was stepping into the terminal at 9:20. That's when I found out my 9:30 flight to Detroit had already taken off! Several of us were "supposed" to be on that plane, but the airline had already re-booked us for the 2:19 flight in the afternoon. And when the ticketing agent handed me my new boarding pass, guess what the first line said?
Most people would have seen this:
FLT:147 Gate:C11 11May08
I saw, Trust Me, Karen. I'm in this! (Do you see the 11 11?)
Seriously, at this point all I could do was laugh. Laugh at the hilarity of another delay. Laugh at the idea, What else can go wrong? Laugh because of the joy building in me over whatever it was God had up His sleeve.
I walked through the terminal toward Gate C11 laughing. Wondering if anyone might be concerned for my mental state. What's wrong with her??? And, honestly, not really caring what they may be thinking.

Now that I had nearly five hours to wait in the airport, I was sure God would find the time for me to talk with someone about Him, or pray for them, or just listen to them. Yes, five hours would be so much more effective than the half hour, or so, I was anticipating initially.
As I approached my gate I saw an older woman sitting alone, plenty of empty seats around her, so I walked over and sat beside her. I smiled at her and said hello, then asked where she was going. She just looked at me, so I repeated myself. She managed to get out, "Detroit," which is when I determined she didn't speak English. OK, maybe not, I thought.
So I took out my Bible and started reading.
Throughout the rest of the morning and early afternoon I did a lot of Bible reading. I interacted with a couple other people, including one college student who came and sat right beside me. When she sat down I asked, Is it her, Lord? But when I asked where she was flying to and she told me Dallas, and I said I was going to Detroit, she realized her mistake (DFW, not DTW!). So she quickly said Good-bye, and left to find the correct gate.
I found myself having some great Bible study and fully enjoying my time with God, thanking Him for the things He was showing me. As my five hours were drawing to a close I began to wonder, Was this simply a gift to me, Lord? Time you set aside for me with nothing but You and my Bible? In an airport? A little odd, but, OK - if that's how You want it. A retreat center might be nice next time. If You're looking for suggestions, that is.

Then, just as I was considering getting up and offering my seat and the empty one next to me to an older couple, an airline employee walked around the corner pushing a man in a wheel chair. She brought him right over to the empty chair next to me and we both helped him sit down.
It didn't take long for me to understand this man was the reason God had kept me at the airport.
His name is Mick and he was flying home from a service he'd just attended marking the one year anniversary of his son being DUSTWUN (Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown) in Iraq. His son's name is Byron Fouty and you can read about him here if you'd like.
Mick hadn't slept in three days and was, understandably, exhausted. He told me about many of the things burdening him right now, and though he said he believes in God, he told me he wished God didn't think he could handle so much.
Most of the time I was sitting with Mick, he was somewhere between sleep and utter confusion. He kept apologizing for himself and I just wanted to cry. I cannot imagine facing the things he's going through right now - with his son and a very recent cancer diagnosis for himself. He is carrying heavy burdens and I just wished there was a way I could help him.
I prayed with Mick - for him and his son - and promised him I would continue to pray for both of them, watching in the news for indications of Byron's return.
And now I'm asking you, my dear friends, to pray for Mick and Byron. For Mick's mental, physical and emotional health, and for the discovery of Byron's whereabouts. And that through this whole ordeal, they may come to know the Lord personally.
I realize I cannot do anything about his situation, but I know God can, and I can plead with God on Mick's behalf. Please join me!

Southern Adventure

First of all, thank you, thank you, to each of you who prayed for the Mother's Day Brunch this morning.
It was absolutely wonderful.
I stood on the platform and moved my mouth, but God was the one speaking to the hearts of women. And from the feedback I have received, I am confident He was speaking clearly and tenderly. What a tremendous blessing to be His instrument!
I was particularly encouraged by the comments from women that the message was just what they needed to hear. Quite honestly, there was a time when I was a bit uncertain about its appropriateness for a Mother's Day Brunch. I thought maybe the women would be expecting something having more to do with motherhood, how important mothers are, how much we need to esteem motherhood, you get the picture.
But some time ago I read Mark 6 and was so encouraged that - though I often do not feel like I am enough of a mom - in Jesus' hands, I become enough. That message has been growing in my heart and I was eager to share it. This morning as I talked with these women about the Truth that their impossible situation is possible with Jesus, He was speaking to their hearts. He has convinced me this was, indeed, the talk I was supposed to give today.

After the brunch I went back to my hostess's house and spent the remainder of the afternoon visiting with her and her precious daughters. I so enjoyed being with them, but soon the time came for them to take me to the airport. So we all hopped into the van and were on our way. Everything was going fine, until...
We got a flat tire.
On the interstate.
Half an hour before I needed to be at the airport.
My hostess called and found someone who could come and take me the rest of the way to the airport. Then they called AAA to come get them!
And that was all fine. We knew God could handle this impossible situation. So we just waited for our rescuers and I wasn't even going to blog about the adventure, except that it gets better!

Upon arriving at the airport and waiting in line to check my bags, I was told I had missed the cut-off time to check my bags and I would have to reschedule my flight.
And there were no more flights going to Detroit today, so I would have to find a hotel in Tampa tonight.
I walked away from the counter to try to gather my thoughts. For a minute I just stood and wondered, What do I do? But then I realized I really had no choice, so I got back in line at the ticket counter and made arrangements to fly out tomorrow morning. The nicer of the two ticket agents even helped me find a hotel.
As I sat outside the airport, waiting for the shuttle to the hotel, I was praying. Lord, I am just sure You're in this situation. I don't see it now, but I'm choosing to trust You. And I was looking for His signature. Just before my shuttle to the hotel arrived for me, another shuttle bus drove by with the company's phone number painted on the side. I don't remember the first few digits, but the last four were 1111.
And tonight after I checked into my room and called my family to tell them about my change in plans, I went down to get something to eat. On my way back to my room either the two elevators on the left were sitting on the same floor, or God was just reminding me He's in this situation. When I looked up at the lights above the doors, there it was again. 11 11. I am not kidding you!
I stepped into the elevator and laughed the entire way to my room. God, you are in every single detail, aren't You! Though I was feeling very alone through this ordeal, God reminded me I am never without Him.
And I am sincerely looking forward to my trip home tomorrow. I don't know what He has in mind, why He chose to delay my trip home. But I am confident of this: God is good, and everything He does is good. On the way down here yesterday I had a wonderful conversation with a fellow passenger. I cannot help but wonder if God has someone in mind for me to talk to tomorrow. Someone I would have missed if I'd flown home today...
I'll be in airports and on airplanes from 6:00-11:30 tomorrow morning. If you read this post in time, please pray for me. I want to be sensitive to His leading - an instrument of His grace.