It’s been awhile since I’ve felt this helpless. It’s 2:00am and I’m sitting next to my sweet husband who’s feeling sick and trying to get some sleep on one of the soft booth benches in the Atlanta Bread Co. in the middle of the terminal at the Atlanta airport, and amazing Angela is somewhere trying to find water for us. The crazy storms in the mid-west grounded our plane and our flight got canceled (also due to the crew being timed-out). We got re-booked on a flight for 7:25 am, so Delta gave us a hotel voucher and sent us to the Hotel Shuttle...down through the terminal we went, out into the hurricane winds to our hotel shuttle waiting area. Angela called the hotel and discovered they were booked full, so we had to go back inside and find a Delta rep to re-book us. We soon discover that no one will be back at the desk until 5:00 am, so we’re stuck. Might as well find a place to get comfy since we’ll be here for awhile. At this point, Ben’s about to vomit so we’ve slowed down our pace and Angela and I are taking turns pulling his suitcase. My husband, who is normally really adventurous and loves this kinda stuff, is absolutely miserable and there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m completely helpless.
Meanwhile, our three kids are back in Houston with our amazing village of friends who have become like family to us. God has blessed us with us such an amazing community at Grace. Three different families (thank you Baudin, French, and Wuensch families) kept one child each while we’ve been in Griffin, GA for the past 48 hours. At least this trip was supposed to be 48 hours...
We were supposed to be picked up by our friend Mikey and he was going to take us back to the house to relieve the second of two babysitters tonight (thanks, Tami and Doug). When we realized the flight was canceled, I called the second sitter (thank you Angela’s husband Doug) and talked him through the kids’ morning routine so he would be prepared when they wake up. Then Doug tells me that one of my kids has wet the bed. Helpless again. I’m completely out of control of the situation, and can only talk him through what to do next: towels are here, diapers are there, fresh jammies are here...(thank you Doug!).
So, here we sit in the terminal where every single chair and bench is filled with a sleeping human; desperate to get where they’re going, and wanting to get back to their routine. Helpless to do anything about it.
Yet here I sit oh so grateful. Helpless but grateful. In the middle of my complete and frightening inability to control anything right now that has to do with my husband’s health, my children’s immediate needs, the plane’s schedule, the weather that affects the plane’s schedule, or the attitudes of the rest of the people in this terminal, I am blessed beyond measure. Exhausted and grateful tears fill my eyes, just as a strange mix of the smell of french fries and freshly-baked bread fills my nostrils. We just finished two incredibly fun days at Black Cat Studios recording new music with the amazingly gifted and hilariously fun Jason Hoard. He’s quickly become a close friend to us all, and we’ll definitely be working together again soon! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work with Angela, Ben, and Jason on these songs; for their belief in me and their encouragement every step of the way. Coming off the amazing 48 hours we’ve shared, it’s hard to be cranky, even in the midst of being stuck at ATL.
In any circumstance, there’s so much for which to be grateful. I could sit and whine and complain about being here instead of being home with my sweet babies. I could be annoyed at the guy snoring on the bench next to us, or at the lady noisily looking for a water bowl for her ugly Pomeranian dog. I could, but I won’t. Instead, I’ll choose joy and gratitude, and Angela and I might go start a flash mob.