Headaches

The headaches are here. Not the ones that will go away with some Tylenol. These are headaches that can't be controlled and that's what makes them so painful. And they've been here for a few months.

They began in late April, when team member Warren Marr was trying to add on to our group and discovered something that I wasn't aware of - our flight didn't exist. WHAT? I was sure he was wrong (even though he deals with flights for a living). So I called DELTA to see what was up. "Oh yeah," was their response. "Sorry we didn't inform you. We changed your flight." Our lunchtime arrival was out and a dinner time flight was in. That wrecks our first day, beach-game, team-building day. OK, we'll make do.

The second, and probably most important thing is MONEY!!! Now it's not like the date the money is due is a big surprise. One of the first things I do is give a due date, and like clockwork there are more than a few people who need an extension for some reason. That's why I make the money due a few weeks before the checks are due, but I was cutting it close with a few team members this year.

In mid- June I got a phone call from the Hill's. Before I go on, let me give you a little history lesson about the Hill's. This is the fourth year that the Hill family has been on the trip, and it always seems that something comes up in their busy lives so that someone has to drop out. In Year 2, Ellen and Catie were planning to come, but had to miss. In Year 4, Nick had to stay back for a college class, and now in Year 5, Nick and Scott have work issues that are keeping them home. So Catie and Jeff are filling in.

We are now less than 2 weeks away and I need paperwork!! Forms - insurance, liability, parental permission, notarized documents - all need to be in my possession very soon. If we were to leave today, the trip would only have 6 people on it. For those of you scoring at home, that's 21 with some sort of missing paperwork.

Even with the headaches that are caused, I've come to learn that they work themselves out - not by some coincidence, but because God has a hand, THE hand, in making sure everything works out. I don't look at the flight change as a problem, but an opportunity to bond in other ways. Having Catie come on the trip will be awesome for Jeff because now he has had a solo trip with each of this children. And the money and paperwork thing - well there is no bright-side to that. They ARE headaches.

So I'm going to heed the advice that I first heard from friend and team member Carrie Steele when I first became a believer back in 2004- let go and let God! I can't control everything. As a matter of fact, I can't control anything so why try. I'm going to sit back and enjoy the ride God has planned for us.