The dreaded e-mail came today. After planning since last October for a once-in-a-lifetime family trip to Hawaii, I received a notice of flight changes.
I was relying on frequent flyer points and had booked flights months in advance. Connecting flights are necessities in St. Louis, and I admit some lay-over times are going to be crunched in trying to make it on time.
I was feeling pretty good though as our dream vacation approached.
Then the e-mail notice. "There has been a change to your flight schedule. Please, contact this number for further information and assistance."
Next to the number was information about "guest services." Clicking on that, I read all the worst-case-scenarios: what to do if you have been bumped, cancelled, reasonably delayed....the list went on and on.
Panic hit me. I quickly dialed the number.
"Your business is very important to us. We are experiencing numerous calls, however, and your call will be addressed in the order it was received. We estimate an agent will be with you in 25 minutes."
25 minutes? I am supposed to sit on the phone to find out what changed for that long?
I had my husband go to his own cell phone while I was on hold and try to call yet another number only to hear him receive an automated menu. When trying to skip all the automated choices by saying AGENT, the menu recorder responded with GOODBYE.
Whew, talk about frustrating. So while waiting for 27 minutes on the phone for an agent, I decided to vent my frustration and panic by writing a letter of complaint to the GUEST SERVICES that appeared as a choice on my monitor.
I hit send before praying.
What a test I had experienced, and I failed miserably! I mean so what if I had spent the day driving in mud and rain to the Daniel Boone home field trip for my daughter's 3rd grade class? So what if two of the little darlings had stepped in horse manure and climbed on TOP of my cloth car seats leaving the odor ground in to the car? So what if I had to rush from the field trip, driving another 55 minutes for my daughter's orthodontist appointment only to have him see her for a full five-minutes tops and hear him say, "Looks fine. Come back in 8 weeks."
None of that matters. It is no excuse to expect to be treated better. Nancy Leigh De Moss's Gratitude Devotional book talks about the trap of feeling we have the right to be treated better, and as a result, complain, complain, complain.
On the way back from the orthodontist, I started praying aloud in front of my daughter, asking for forgiveness. I started thanking God for the rain, the mud, the smell, my car, the dentist, the drive. As I did the thankful list changed to thanks for the ability to drive, the fact no one was hurt in the rain or mud, the fun the kids had playing charades and hangman with each other on the drive, the lessons learned, the fact that my daughter's teeth were doing fine....I started feeling better. Then I got home.
Walking into my home, a light bulb crashed shattering tiny shards of glass all over the floor as my dog, soaked from the muddy backyard (I did mention it was NOT supposed to rain today when I left that morning for the field trip?), bounded into the house leaving tracks throughout and jumping excitedly upon me.
Well, I guess I am needing a lot of practice on this being thankful thing and attitude in general.
What about you? Has your flight, day, life, schedule ever been delayed or changed? If so, how are you handling it?
I hope better than I. And yes, by the way, I did get through to an agent only to find they merely changed flight numbers, not the schedule as indicated. For that, I am truly thankful. :-)
For His Glory,
Gretchen
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