Eyes on the Goal

Have you been in a situation where you had to be kept waiting either due to rescheduled flights, delayed flights or due to some logistics you had no control over? I bet you, it is not always so pleasant, especially if you have a deadline to meet or if you are in a hurry.

That reminds me of one of my trips to Abuja from the Muritala Muhammad Airport in Lagos, Nigeria. The flight was rescheduled five times, did in say five? May be more. I had been at the airport since 3pm for a flight that was scheduled for 4:30pm and just 30 minutes before departure, the flight was rescheduled on and on till it was 12am the following day. I had sat with others who were faced with the same dilemma. We resolved to wait despite the cold, grumbling stomach due to hunger, growing impatience and the glaring disappointment on our faces each time our flight was rescheduled.

At about 10:30pm, one of us, a young man who had all the while been lamenting about the inadequacies of the aviation industry in Nigeria and whom we had tried to encourage, rose and said he wants to take a stroll. I reminded him that the flight was in about an hour, but he predicted that as other times, the flight would be rescheduled. Without word from him to anyone, he strolled out of the waiting lounge into the spacious lot, thankfully illuminated by the flood of lights in and around the airport 

About 45mins after he left the group, the announcement was made for the boarding of our flight, we looked around for him but no one could say exactly where he strolled to and since we all met at the lounge and became situational companions, there is a limit to how far we could go in search of him. We moved towards the departure area and were conveyed to the aircraft. We boarded the plane and that was it, he was not able to join the flight all because he decided to take a stroll in the park, where he went, only God could tell.

Moral of the story

1. Being delayed is not as important as what you do or engage in during the time of delay. I wondered if he had just strolled within the waiting lounge or engaged in reading a book while waiting; maybe he wouldn’t have missed the flight after waiting for so long.

2. Situational friends are not reliable in the period of your waiting. Everyone is on a journey and everyone knows what it will take them to make it through. Don’t depend on the fact that you have many in your shoes or situation to explore comfort you cannot afford. Choose your battles and fight with wisdom

3. Never base your assumption on what has been the norm. Situation can change at anytime regardless of how bad or impossible it seemed.

4. You are on a journey, until you get to your place of rest, you cannot afford to be careless. Give all it takes to see you are seated before you stretch your legs

5. No matter how long it may take, your answer will come, it doesn’t matter how many number of rejections and disappointment you have been served, a big yes that would change the game will come to you, wait, stay calm and watch your time, come unto you. You have waited long enough, you can’t be careless now that your answer is near

For ye have need of patience, that after you have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise Heb 10:36

Written by Arabinrin Oluwatobi

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