Saturday, November 8, 2008

God Loves Me!

Do you ever have days where it is very evident to you that God loves you very much? More than you usually feel? I had a day like that yesterday.

I was flying standby from Alaska to Minneapolis to visit my sister for a long weekend. Tim took me to the ANC airport at 9:45pm so he could get back home and go to bed even though the first flight I had listed on didn't leave until 12:30 am. I saw there was a flight going to SEA at 10:45 pm so went to see if I could get on it. It's always best to get on the first flight you can; better to be sitting and waiting at your destination instead of sitting and wishing you were at your destination!

The 10:45 had a standby list of around 50! My heart sunk. I missed the 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and then the 6:30 to SEA. My last chance to get into Seattle and catch a flight to Minneapolis same day was the 7:30. If I missed it, I was going to have to make a decision to go later and overnight in Seattle (cutting into my 4 day trip to Kris) or just stay home and there was no guarantee I'd get the morning flight to MSP. What to do? What to do?

The flight was full, they called Final Boarding 3x like the gate always does. Then they went to the standby list. William, Michael.....he got on. Stanton, Rebecca....she got on. Flight attendant who rushed up at the last minute with her daughter....they BOTH got on. There's only one seat left. Pearson, Mark? Pearson, Mark? Didn't show! Abbott, Lindsay? Abbott, Lindsay? Didn't show. You can see the whole group of us who've been there all night tensing up each time a name is called, glancing around, trying to see if someone gets up to go to the podium. No one. Kilson, Patricia? WHOOO HOOOO! I get the very last seat on the flight!

I had looked at so many flights that I couldn't remember for sure what time the one I was on landed in SEA and what time the last flight went to MSP. I was thinking ours would land at 12:10pm and my next flight left MSP at 12:45pm. That would only give me about 1/2 hour to find my gate, get checked in and wait for final boarding to see if I had a seat. If I missed any of that I would have to overnight in SEA or start the trip back home.

Our flight landed on time at 12:10 but I was 3 rows from the back, so it took an excrutiatingly long time for me to finally get off the plane. I kept checking my cell phone for the time...12:15, 12:20, 12:21.....I'm starting to get extremely anxious because I don't even know where my next gate is or what time it really leaves. When I finally got off the plane I dashed to the first reader board. Flight to MSP leaves at 12:35 and it's ON TIME. YIKES!!!!! That leaves me less than 10 mintues to get to it. It's at Gate D9, I frantically look around and realize I am at gate C10! I'm at one extreme end of the C concourse, and I have to hoof it to the extreme end of the D concourse. I take off running! (ok, not really running, I have a bad knee and a sore ankle and I don't engage in much physical activity so in actuality I took off a a fast walk/hitch along pretend run sort of thing.)

I keep looking at the public time listings over the concourse. 12:26! Get out of my way old man! 12:27! Please God, let the flight be delayed in some way. A young woman and three children wander back and forth in front of me! Get out of my way! I'm in a hurry here! Please God....some kind of mechanical problem, just a short delay. 12:28. I'll never make it. Please God, just a short delay, I'm almost there. My chest is hurting, my leg muscles are all cramped up and I've got to go to the bathroom. No time! Please God, I really want to get on this flight to see my sister.

12:29 I arrive huffing and puffing at the D9 gate to see that the reader board states FLIGHT CLOSED. That means they have already shut the door and are going to push away from the gate. My heart sinks and I feel like crying. I'm so close!

"Is there any way I can still get on this flight?"
"I'm sorry ma'am, the flight is closed."
"Was it full? Are there any seats on it?"
"Ma'am, we've already closed the flight...maybe you should look at the flight to Chicago?"
"My sister lives in Minneapolis, not Chicago."

I start to back away, start to think about what I'm going to do next. Rats! Rats! Rats! I'll just hang around until they finish this flight then I'll ask about seats available on the morning flight. I'm resigned. Then I hear them talking again.

"I guess we can call the standby." My ears perk up. "Jamison, Jessica?" I don't see anyone.
"Jamison, Jessica?" Again, I look around and no one is rushing up to the podium.
"I wonder where Jessica is. I already told her she had this last seat."
"I saw her just a moment ago. Jamison, Jessica?"

Still no Jessica. The lady is talking to the other and says, "Well we can't hold the flight for a standby." Then she looks at me. "It's your lucky day." My heart leaps! I'm getting on after all! She issues the ticket and tells me to rush and sit down.

Thank you God! I knew you loved me! Please make Jessica Jamison have a better day since you caused her delay so I could have her seat! Thank you so much!

Thank you God!

4 comments:

PAK ART said...

I don't live in MSP. I live 1 and 1/2 hour east of MSP.

I'm glad your here! Even if you do snore! So loud that I can here you from my bedroom!

tainterturtles said...

What a story to tell. I'm so glad you made it Patty. God is always with us. Have fun with Kris

Becky from Alaska said...

Oh, the joys of non-rev :)

Alicia said...

awww...good story. I'm so glad you made it. Didja end up peeing your pants or anything?

To anybody (mom) who may be confused...Krissy made that living in MSP comment while Patty was already signed in on Krissys computer in WI.

Patty....your going to have so much fun. You'll love Kellie. She's one of those people that we would choose for a best friend. I'm glad Krissy has her. Plus she make's the best burritos EVER! I didn't get to know tainterturtles (although I think I met her at the library once)but she sounds great , too. You guys are all going to have fun without me! boo hoo.