A Trip to Remember (concluding thoughts)

So, you could call the trip a disaster, a nightmare, a challenge, perhaps even a mistake. You might even be tempted to ask the question, "Where was God in all of this?"

The trip was difficult. It didn't go as planned. It was inconvenient to have to stop in London, a country that despite a common language is foreign and expensive. It was also frustrating to not be able to communicate with people because my phone was lost and annoying to not be able to check email to at least be able to update people via the internet. It was also disappointing that Kim had to stay an extra night in London, that we couldn't get on the first few flights out of London on Saturday and that we missed the surprise birthday party for Kim's grandma.

BUT, when we look back at how everything played out, our perspective is very different: the fact that her intense pain began on the first flight and not the international flight; the paramedics that met us at the plane; the hospital staff that completely went out of their way to accommodate our children; the fact that the surgeon identified the problem and could perform the surgery immediately and laparoscopically; the extra day of rest Kim got by staying one more night in London; the total strangers that helped Kim make the painful walk across the terminal to the bathroom while I waited in line to find out about our flight and prayed for Kim; the other strangers that sat and played with our kids; the nice BA customer service people that actually got us on the plane; the fact that all five of us got on our second standby flight (when others had waited days to fly and eventually bought new tickets); the fact that Kim could be pushed around in a wheelchair throughout most of the airports; the many people who prayed for our family; Kim's parents who helped us out in many ways and functioned as the primary channel for communication with everyone else.

Yes, when we consider all of these blessings, we see not only God's presence but His provision and are reminded that it's in these moments - these adventures in life - that we learn to trust God more!