Timing. It is EVERYTHING. It matters in so many of the things that we do. Ask chefs, bakers, athletes, businessmen, doctors, EMTs, healthcare workers, pilots, etc. One second off in some situations could literally be the difference in life or death!
Every SECOND counts! And if God has been teaching me anything in this season of life- especially in the last two weeks, it has been to TRUST His timing and to trust HIS process!
Recent examples...
So originally, I was supposed to fly back to Nepal a couple of weeks ago. When I learned that wasn't going to happen, I reached out to my best friend Vanessa and her hubby Sean who live in San Francisco. Vanessa was pregnant with kid #6 and was due at the end of May. I had been sad because I was going to be missing this child's entrance into the family....and out of their other 5 children, the only "addition" I missed was the first one, simply because I didn't know their family yet. Aside from that, God made it possible for me to be there for the adoptions and births of the other kids! This was going to be the first one that I was going to miss and it just hurt my heart a little bit!
Anyways, I had visited San Francisco a few weeks prior (using a flight credit from 2020) and had just messaged Sean and Vanessa in our family chat about how if I had known the borders would close again, I could have maybe come for the birth of baby #6! And in that chat, Sean introduced an idea like "well....wanna come back?" To which I was like, "you know what? Yeah! Why not?!" And over the next 2 days, we looked at flights and used airline miles to book my trip back to SF! Here's where the timing thing gets crazy....
At first, we were going to book my flights to have me in SF the last week of May/first week of June because Vanessa was due on the 30th or 31st and in all of her previous deliveries, she went into labor within a day or two of her due date. But this was a different kid! She (baby Qavah) decided to come early....and I hadn't booked flights yet, so I was able to get flights for the new timeframe! She was born on May 15th and I arrived on May 20th. On the day of my arrival, as my plane was about to land, Vanessa went back to the hospital due to high blood pressure. Thankfully, her mom had come to visit and was able to stay behind with the kids until I arrived (her husband took her to the ER), but she literally had to go back home the SECOND I walked in the door! So immediately, childcare was needed. And I was able to help!
After all of the kids were home from school, I took them for a day of fun down by Fisherman's Wharf. The hospital had decided to keep Vanessa for at least 24 hours, and because SHE was now the patient, but her baby girl Qavah was NOT a patient....but was still breastfeeding and needed to stay with Vanessa, they required an additional adult to stay with her in the room to be responsible for the baby in case she had an emergency or needed surgery, etc. So after our day of fun, I went to relieve Sean and got to see my best friend and baby Qavah for the first time in the hospital! Not what any of us expected, but it was just SO clear that God's hand was in the midst! All are safe and healthy and home now, but it was just so obvious that God had a reason for, well, EVERYTHING!
Things in Nepal right now are not stable. If you have been keeping up with world news, you might be aware that they, along with India, have had their highest records recently for COVID cases. In fact, just a few days ago, it was announced that Nepal had the highest rate of transmission IN THE WORLD. And because of this, Nepal has enforced lockdowns again and they have grounded their flights. Dates for when lockdowns end keep changing and flights get canceled and rescheduled left and right! (This time around, mine had already been rescheduled twice).
If you recall, last year when I was initially trying to get to Nepal, it took 4 reschedules and I finally was able to get there about 4 months after my intended arrival. I think maybe because of this, this time around, after the second time my flights were rescheduled and lockdowns were extended, I quickly prepared myself mentally for another long stint of being in America waiting and trying again and again and AGAIN to get back to Nepal. This time, however, I don't have as much wiggle room to work with as I am coming up on needing to have my passport renewed (which you are told to expect could take up to 12 weeks). If my flight (scheduled to leave June 10th and arrive June 12th) actually leaves, this won't be a problem. I can renew it in Nepal at the American Embassy. If, however, it gets canceled again, I enter the "danger zone" for waiting to see if I can get in before my passport has less than 6 months of travel on it. (You are required to have at least 6 months of validity left before you can enter a different country).
After talking with my Nepali family about the whole situation, we all agreed it would be wisest to postpone my arrival until September/October in order to make sure I have enough time to sort out my passport situation. (Not to even mention that there is a LOT of stuff going on in my family circles right now that could use my help/attention). So that is what we intended to do in case my flights get canceled...which we expected.
Then yesterday, I read an article that said Nepal was going to start allowing flights back in beginning on June 1st! I had SUCH mixed emotions about it because, like I said, I had already begun mentally preparing myself to stay in America again for a few more months. And with that, I had allowed myself to get excited for all of the things I was going to be able to be present for that I would have missed! I was super shocked about my conflicted heart! And yet, I also was reminded that from the beginning, GOD has been the One orchestrating every single step. HE is the One Who makes a way or allows detours or what FEELS like delays to us. But not one bit of it is a surprise to Him and not one piece is out of sync with HIS timing. He is never late! And so while I don't know all that God is doing and I'm STILL not certain which continent I will be on in two weeks, I find my peace and assurance in remembering that HE is the One Who is making my paths straight. So I will take in every step. I will seek joy! And I will also allow myself to be transparent with people along my journey that sometimes....it's just NOT glamorous! It's hard to plan seeing people or working a job or raising support, etc....when you are less than two weeks out and still don't know what to expect! Doubts come in and your mind is flooded both with truths and with lies that start to battle each other. And sometimes....it takes longer for the truths to win those battles, BUT I'm SO glad that they always do!
In efforts to be authentic and transparent about the process around me and IN me, I gotta tell you, loving people is HARD. Not just because some people are difficult to love....but because when the people who keep pieces of your heart are scattered all across the planet (and in Heaven too for that matter!) and you being, you know, HUMAN, can only be in one place at a time...it hurts! And yes, I am GRATEFUL to feel like I will always see people again. But I also just don't like being away from them. I don't like being away from San Francisco. I don't like being away from Nepal. And I'm not going to like being away from my family when the time comes! I cannot wait until the New Kingdom when goodbyes cease to exist! Until then, thank you. Thank you for being on this journey with me and for being a part of my story! I am so very fortunate to have people I love and who love me in so many places on this Earth.
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