GOD first...Heavenly Father, we thank You for all the surprises, big and small, that come our way when we least expect them. All the blessings that come our way are awesome gifts given through Your Amazing Grace. We only ask that all Your love be spread to those around us. Help us and sustain us with strength and guidance as we look for the many ways to use our gifts in searching for those in need around us. Pray for those who are ill, suffering, grieving, or are in harm's way. We pray in the name of our dear Savior, Jesus. Amen.
*Bob: Did you have a good hunting trip?
Jim: Yeah, I shot seventeen geese.
Bob: Were they wild?
Jim: No, but you should have seen the lady who owned them.
The thought of leaving Nordheim this past week was heavy on my mind as my daughter, Roberta, offered to take me to Panama City, Florida, where her daughter, Deanna's family, all lived. Not realizing what I was getting into, I decided to experience what it was like going on an airplane and flying somewhere once again.
Many many years ago, driving to Austin was simple. Just head north on Highway 281 and the airport is on the right on Highway 71. Thinking to myself as we passed Lockhart, I'm sure glad I'm not driving. If you don't have a computer or iPad, how could one stop and find someone for directions?
I saw places that weren't there years ago. Freeways, overpasses, and side roads were all fitted into the landscape and if one didn't know how to get there from here, if you didn't see it, you would be on a toll road going 80 miles an hour and going no-where fast.
Thankfully, Larry was driving and Roberta was directing. Olivia and I were mere spectators. Seeing some places that were familiar with still a lot of doubt, we turned on Hwy 71 and saw the airport. Traffic was a lot more than I remembered, and trying to find a parking place was tough. Folks, it was crowded.
Thought for a while we might be going back home. After finding a parking place, we gathered our luggage and walked to a pickup station and was lucky to find a small transport bus that took us to the airport complex. Going in, I had never seen so many people scurrying around, searching for a place to go to make a connection to a flight on such and such. We finally found the place (American Airlines) where we were supposed to go and saw a lot of people going into a roped off area waiting to get their luggage unloaded.
Being herded like a bunch of animals, we headed to the search area where anything metal was detected, everything was put in trays and run through an x-ray while you walked through to the other side and picked up your carry-on items on the other side. All the while I was thinking to myself, I left Nordhem at 10am to be crowded in an airport to wait another two hours to get on an airplane.
Looking back on it all, I could see a lot of people with patience beyond imagination, going here and there knowing where to go and wait. Following my daughter was like being a 5-year-old wandering around like a lost waif.
I was already getting lonesome for Nordheim. This airport had gotten so large, there were thousands of people, but not in Nordheim. Highway being constructed to go around the town, Blacktop was almost at the city limits and for once, I'm kind of glad after seeing socalled progress. Surmising my situation, I finally realized that a lot of people at the airport were refugees from Houston that were out of electricity because of the storm. To see the patience of all people I saw made me appreciate the endurance, respect and courtesy towards each other in their struggles.
See you next week.
