The Adventure Begins

The adventure, indeed.

I guess you always begin any trip with the understanding that things can go wrong, but how wrong, you have no idea!

We arrived at the Waco airport this morning at 8:00am, in plenty of time to catch my flight that left at 9:30. My itinerary called for a flight to Dallas, change planes and on to Washington DC where I was scheduled for an early dinner and a day of orientation, time to meet the other pilgrims, etc.


There was evidently weather in Dallas, so flights were delayed. I was booked on a flight that was to come from Dallas, and then turn around and go back. By the time it got to Waco, got reloaded, and left, it was after 11:00. My connecting flight left Dallas at 11:20. I tried to catch the next flight to DC, but it was already full of other people who had missed their flights, so I got booked on the next available flight at 6:30 pm, a full 7 hours after my scheduled flight! Sheesh.

I am trying to spend the time profitably, so I am writing this blog entry. I am also relfecting on the spiritual discipline of solitude; being alone with God. It seems a strange subject to contemplate in a crowded airport, but I don’t know a soul here, so I am indeed alone. Also, consider how seldom we are alone. I know lots of people who get pets and leave the television on all the time so they don’t have to experience the lonliness of having no one around. But if we don’t spend some time alone (albeit at times against our will!) when will we ever be able to listen for/to the voice of God? That’s what I came for; to listen for and, hopefully, to hear the voice of God in the desert, in the Holy Land. Maybe this is just the warm-up. I shouldn’t complain. It took Moses 40 years in the wilderness watching sheep to hear God. 8 hours in an airport is the fast track!

Beldon Lane said, “To freely choose what one cannot change may be the highest exercise of the will, and its deepest freedom.”(p. 206)

I finally made it to the hotel in Washington about midnight. When I checked in, the desk clerk said, "Oh, there's a message for you. You are to meet your group at 5:30." oops. I had a good laugh.

My room mate for the duration is Drew Travis. Good guy. He is presently serving a church in Conway, AR. I have known Drew since Graham years when he was in Plainview. Some of you may be interested to know that he is Britton Varn's father and brother to Clay Travis of First Ft. Worth. Off to bed now. Up for worship tomorrow.

God is good...All the time!