Dear ITEM/Next Gen Friends,
I am in Nairobi, Kenya enjoying my only full off day until I get home. It was an adventure getting here.
At the top of my prayer list for this trip was asking for no cancelled or delayed flights. Twice last year my first flight, Portland to Amsterdam, was delayed, delayed more, then cancelled. Not once but twice.
DL 178
Well, it happened again, Wednesday. I woke up to the email message from Delta that flight DL178 out of Portland was delayed 2.5 hours, which meant I would miss my connection in Amsterdam. So, I immediately called Delta to discuss the issue. I was on the phone about 15 minutes considering options. The final option was shuttle up to Seattle and then on to Amsterdam in time to catch my flight to Kenya. I agreed. So, instead of a 2:15pm flight out of Portland, it was now a 10:55am flight to Seattle meaning we had to leave IMMEDIATELY for the airport. Fortunately I was packed. Brenda and I did what we had to do and grabbed what we had to grab, she grabbed an apple for breakfast, I made myself a quick peanut butter sandwich, we threw the luggage in the car and left. Traffic was generally tame, check in was fairly quick, and I got to the gate 15 minutes before boarding the flight to Seattle. I easily made my connection in Amsterdam and got to Nairobi on time, 10pm here, noon Pacific time Thursday.
No-see-ums
The scientific name is “Ceratopogonidae.” They are from 1-3 mm in length and not easily seen by the naked eye. The point is this, just because you “don’t see um” doesn’t mean there are none in your house. What does that have to do with anything?
I asked for prayer that no flights be cancelled or delayed and my very first flight WAS delayed and it threatened to throw off my entire trip. Fortunately, there was a last minute alternative that saved the ability to connect in Amsterdam.
Some skeptic may ask, “If God exists, why didn’t he answer the prayer? Why did He allow the flight to be delayed when we were praying that He wouldn’t? Here is the principal: Just because we don’t know the “why” doesn’t mean that the “why” doesn’t exist. In the same way we don’t see the “no-see-um” doesn’t mean there are none of them around. Must God reveal every answer to our “why” questions? Just because we “no-see-um” doesn’t mean He doesn’t have a reason.
This is a response we give to a skeptic who asks us “why did God allow “that” to happen” when the “that” seems unfair, unjust, bad, or evil? And because He demonstrated His love by sending His son to die on a cross in our place, should assure anyone that His reason, whatever it is, is loving and just and right.
If you have a comment or question reply to me at: steve@iteministries.org
Saturday, I’ll be on my way to Zimbabwe for a two day apologetics seminar next Monday and Tuesday.
Continue to pray and we’ll trust God together for the best answer whether we “see-um” or we “no-see-um.”
Here is the link to the Photo Album.
By His grace,
Steve
ITEM Next Gen Speaker/Apologist