God Makes a Way

I’ve recently returned from a missions experience like nothing I’ve ever participated before. I joined three other women (from United States, South Africa and Malaysia) and together we travelled to Tibet for four days. After Tibet, another American joined the team and we travelled to Bhutan for another five days of missions. In total, I was away from home for a full 14 days.

Anxious thoughts plagued me for days, even before I left. I’m not typically anxious because I’m somewhat of a strategic visionary, which means I I like to plan and be prepared for all possible outcomes. This time, though, the airline called, “Fruit basket upset,” and I found myself without a flight home.

Adding to my anxiety was a friend (who has a prophetic gift I trust) telling me she felt God was asking me to trust Him, and not to make any other plans or arrangements. She said I should show up at the airport. Her words struck fear in my heart. Show up?! Without a plan?! I went into a full tailspin of a faith crisis but I knew she had heard correctly from Holy Spirit; my spirit was witness. I spent the next few days whining praying to the Lord.

The problem wasn’t if I could get home from Thailand. Of course, I could get home. I mean, there are plenty of flights daily from Bangkok to Vancouver. The issue was getting home on May 18 (because it’s my wedding anniversary and I had promised my Man I would be home to celebrate with him) without costing additional funds. The trip was not fully paid, even though I was leaving in eight days; I could hardly think to incur even more debt for a new one-way ticket. My conversation with the Lord went like this:

Lord: Do you trust me to get you home?

Me: No.

Lord: Have I looked after you in the past?

Me: I can’t remember.

Lord: Your vow to your husband is important to me. I want you to honour it. And I know the details of your finances, too.

Satan: You shouldn’t have booked on a budget travel site; they won’t do anything for you. You should make a contingency plan; your husband will understand if you can’t keep your promise.

Me (to the Lord): Satan’s right, I shouldn’t have booked on a budget travel site and this is the consequence. No one will look after me and I have to do it myself.

Lord: Is anything too hard for me? Do you really think an online budget travel site can get the best of me?

Me: Yes. No. Maybe. I don’t know...

And so, with tenuous faith, I decided to trust God – for the flights, for the money, and for peace. All the finances (plus an extra $50) came in the day before my departure but throughout the duration of the trip, I was constantly being tested in the area of faith and flights. For four of the 11 flights I took within a 14 days period, I was literally running to make the flight and/or connection, and two flights I missed entirely because of weather delays.

And through it all, God was faithful. He made a way where there was no way - again, and again, and again.  My Man was there to greet me with a kiss on our anniversary, having made it home exactly as the Lord said I would AND without any additional costs.

Oh, and the extra $50 I received? It was exactly what I needed to rebook one of the missed flights. He knows what we need before we even need it. That’s our God – Lord above the mountains and budget travel sites, too.

Fire Flags by Catch the Fire Worship Flags at Yamdrok Lake, Tibet