I was overjoyed to spend the last week at the FOCUS SLS 2016 conference in Dallas, Texas. Let me just start by saying that there is nothing like walking into a hotel and seeing thousands of college students on fire for Christ and hundreds of priest and religious sisters full of joy. From the moment I stepped into the lobby, I felt such excitement and peace for the days to come.
During the conference, we began each day with Adoration and mass and then went to training sessions. During these sessions we learned how to teach others how to pray, lead bible studies, and share Jesus as a witness. Suffice it to say, this experience was refreshing and eye opening and beautiful.
This morning I said farewell to the hotel and ubered to the airport. I made it through the security line only to find out that my flight had been delayed over an hour. Immediately panic set it- I had to be back at school for a presentation at 4 pm. There was no way I could drive from LAX to Santa Barbara in an hour. I threw open my laptop and started to brainstorm a solution. It was in this stress that I began to talk to God- “Hello…. It’s me. I just spent five awesome days with you and now my flight is delayed and I am going to get fired from my job and I really wanted to give this presentation so why is this happening?!” Frustrated, I closed my eyes and took a breath. The peace that I had felt for the past five days came back. I recalled that no matter how great our own plan might be, God’s plan has a purpose and is better because He loves us perfectly. Even though it seemed like a disaster, I didn’t have to worry about this moment because everything was going to work out. So, I put it in His hands.
I called my boss to explain the situation, and I was blown away by her understanding and compassion. It turns out that she had been working on the presentation as well, and she was prepared to step in for me. I looked at my email and saw that because I wasn’t going to be back to school in time, I could attend a rehearsal for Miss Ventura County 2016, something I had been really disappointed to miss originally. And as I sat on the plane, I had a soul-dancing conversation with the woman next to me about how impatience and frustration can blind us to God’s plan for us. It’s so true- I often think that I am the expert when it comes to me and what I want. But God sees the deepest desires of my heart and He puts me where He needs me. Because of this, I was able to accept the change in plans with joy and acceptance because it is from Him.
This is not the first time that things haven’t gone according to my plan, nor will it be the last. But I pray that when I face moments like this, when the highway becomes an unexpected detour, I can remember that He is in charge and He takes the wheel. I was so blessed by SLS 2016 and the peace and light that it brought into my life.
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