We are so blessed! We are finally on our way to Eastern Europe after a few set-backs. It is hard to believe we will be boarding a plane to Tel Aviv, Israel, in route to Tbilisi, Georgia, our home for the next few months. Our belongings are in route to Kiev, Ukraine, and in January we will be headed that way, too. We quickly realize at the end of packing our suitcases, getting ready to head to the airport in Atlanta, that we still have too much stuff. What happened to traveling light? It’s a cold day in Atlanta, so surprisingly enough our woolen coats and boots are not completely out of place. We say a tearful goodbye to our dear friends at the airport, where they send us off with a prayer of power, and deep down we are so very joyful; joyful that we were able to make such great friends in Atlanta, and joyful in anticipation of the friends we will make in places to come. The Lord has opened this door, and we are ready to step out in faith and walk through the security line at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Now, that in itself takes a lot of faith. Apparently, late night is the time to travel, and surprisingly there is no line at all.
It was in line in Tel Aviv Airport in Israel, though, that we got to meet a lot of new people, from all countries, all different agendas, and certainly different ways of doing things. We realized, right before boarding the plane in Atlanta, that our luggage had not been checked in the whole way to Tbilisi. That meant we would have to go through passport control, baggage claim, customs, and through check-in and security again in Tel Aviv. To be honest, we were dreading this slightly. Would we make our connecting flight? Again, we were reminded that we have too much stuff, and we were thankful for the free luggage carts in Tel Aviv. Passport control was crowded to say the least. Eventually lines would form and it was interesting to observe the different concepts different people have of waiting in line. We had great conversations during this time, and then everyone went in different directions enriched by each other’s company – at least that’s how we felt. We got a stamp in our passports, allowing us to stay for three months, only to get another a couple of hours later, showing that we were leaving the country again. But here we were in Israel – headed to Georgia!
Georgian Airlines next. It’s Sunday afternoon. We find the right place to check in and have our baggage checked – we think security in the US is cumbersome – it doesn’t even compare to the strict security here. What we thought might happen, happened next, as Georgian Airlines has a different luggage policy than Delta. After conversation with some sweet, sweet employees at the counter, and a couple of phone calls, however, we are on our way (without having to pay anything), and again the Lord blessed us by allowing us to encounter wonderful people.
As we are sitting on the plane, eating delicious Georgian food, we are talking about our journey so far, and the people we have met. We are all traveling from different places, going in different directions, yet our journeys coincided for a few moments. As we travel through life, and especially this journey we have just embarked on, we want to make the most out of these encounters. Lord, help us to always see them as divine opportunities! So, we are in our way, anticipating great blessings, as we open ourselves up and allow His Spirit and His creation to bless us. And our prayer is this: ‘Make us a blessing to others!’
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