Lindsay Writes

Last Monday, Christian, my husband, came out of his office with an expression on his face that after nearly 19 years of marriage, I’ve come to know means interesting news, but he’s not sure how I’m going to react.

“I’m being asked if I could do a work trip to Japan .”

“Wow, that sounds like a fun adventure,” I answered. “When would the trip be?”

He met my eyes. “Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, tomorrow? As in, tomorrow?” I sputtered.

It turns out, you can get ready to go to Japan on less than a single day’s notice.

Christian flew off to the Land of the Rising Sun, not knowing a word of Japanese, but looking for a little adventure and ready to solve problems.

He’s currently flying somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, already on his way home after a week away.

The kids and I have missed him, but have also been so excited for him to have such a wildly unexpected experience – on his company’s credit card too!

Here are some things I think our family has learned in the process:

1. God goes before us. An up-to-date passport and Eadie’s newly acquired driver’s license made sure both his trip and my ability to get everyone where they needed to be were possible.
2. Adventure >Fear of the unknown. Christian could have said that it was too little notice, too intimidating to navigate, or too much of a language barrier to overcome. But instead, he boarded a plane without knowing all the answers, and is coming home with a wealth of new experiences. As parents, we’ll be able to point this out to our kids when they’re faced with the inevitable fears of stepping out into the unknown.
3. God hears and answers every prayer. Christian and I have been praying over some circumstances with his work for awhile now. This trip and the opportunities and conversations around it are an unexpected way that God is answering us, after what has felt like uncertainty and quiet.

The whole experience has me asking myself these questions, and just maybe they’re questions for you too:

• How has God been going before me, preparing the way for the plans He has for me?
• What fears are holding me back from stepping into those God given plans?
• What should I keep praying and trusting God for right now?