 |
| Liquid Satin Kaikoura, New Zealand Copyright Sarah Carpenter |
This week, I have been
hemmed in. I tried to leave Seoul for Chusok by booking tickets in March.
I tried to go to lovely Sorrento but couldn't get flights. I tried
to go and see a friend in Den Haag, but couldn't get flights. I then
tried to go and see a friend in London. Yup ... no flights. Crazy. Some
other things happened and made me realise that God wants my undivided attention
this week. I am facing some major decisions and need to hear from him. More
than that, he wants time alone with me. So this week, I am kind of on a
retreat ... at my house in Seoul.
I was recently writing to a friend replying that
I was not travelling this break and I was a little MEH about that. As I was writing, I felt a scripture
from the bible drop in my mind, It's from Ps 139 and it says, "you hem me
in behind and before, you have laid your hand upon me ..."
and I said to my friend, "I think God has
hemmed me in this vacation ... he wants my undivided attention ..."
In the same Psalm, it says "if I
rise on the wings of the dawn, and settle on the far side of the sea, even
there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast" ...
This is an interesting scripture to drop into my mind during a time of possible transition as it is the same one that God impressed on me when I made the move to Seoul. Along with that scripture, I had a clear image in my mind. The image I had was that when I got
to the airport and I was leaving ... it would be like God was standing at the
departure gates waving me off saying "have a great time ..." In the same image I could also see
him walking through the departure gates with me, saying, "let's go ... its
going to be awesome!" I also could see
me arriving at the other end and see him there waiting for me as I came out of the arrival gates
saying ... "come in ... so glad you are here ... its all organized!"
I took a lot of comfort in that picture, knowing that I was not walking alone on the path unfolding for me. But something even more amazing happened. This is what actually happened with it
in real life ...
I got to the airport with about 80 kilos of luggage ... my whole life packed up and resources for school. I had called the airline ahead and they
told me it would be $18 NZD a kilo for excess ...I decided I had to just bite it and pay.
When I got to the airport it was 40 dollars a
kilo and they told me my bill would be about $2,000
So I turned to my friend who was with me
and said, "go tell the others to pray ... its way more than they said
..." and then I looked at the lady and said (respectfully), "well, I guess I just have to pay.
I am moving my whole life to Korea .... and I need all these things."
She told me to wait, walked away for a bit and then came back and said, "you only have to pay $200!"
Seriously! Unheard of. No one at airports is that nice with
excess luggage ... :) So there is God behind me ... waving me off ...
I get on the flight ... It was
good ... and then ... the story gets better ...
I arrive at Incheon airport - it had been open about a month.
I step out of the door of the plane onto the jetway ... and notice there
are some officials there ... one of them is holding a sign that says, "welcome Sarah Cartenter".
I looked at "Cartenter" and thought ...
that must be me ... with a typo ...
So I looked at them and said, "Carpenter?"
(and we are in the jetway remember ...
right by the door of the plane) ...
so they go, "Seoul Foreign School?" and I reply "yes ..."
There is a flurry of bowing and
card exchanging and I am whisked off with the officials ... thinking "what the
heck ...?!?" It was all super fast ... they
grabbed my passport ... whilst I freak out about that, I was roared off to the diplomat channel ... someone grabbed
my bags and I was through this huge international airport in about 10 minutes
... whipped out in the arrival lounge where the head of school was waiting for
me looking completely bemused as I was diverted sideways to meet more officials in a flurry of bowing!
I could see my new boss wondering what the heck was going on ...
as was I ...
God was smiling. He went before me.
Here is the back story to that ...
My school in NZ had quite a few
Korean kids ... and one of them, Danny, was not in my class, but was in my
team. And as a senior teacher, I
had had to deal with him a few times on behavior issues! When he heard I was moving to Korea he was really excited and kept asking how I was going ... when would I
get there ... so I told him I was flying Korean Air and the day I was leaving.
His father was the one who met me at the
door. His uncle was a key facilitator in the development of the new airport ...very important
person. So I got the VIP
treatement into Korea ...
God hemmed me in behind
and before ... he went before me ... waited and said, come on in ... its all
ready for you! Amazing!
To me it is interesting that at this time of
possible transition, the scripture he reminds me of this week, is the same one
I had in my heart before I left for Korea ... I know my steps are ordered ... and I
just know this week, I need to connect with him and make the plans and see what
happens ...
Tonight as I end my
reflection time I am grateful. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am
loved. Although I am single, I do not have to make the big decisions in my life
that I am facing by myself. I have someone whose hand is on me and under me.
Tonight I am reminded that he hems me in behind and before. He has laid his hand on me. If I rise on the wings of the dawn and settle on the
far side of the sea, even there, his hand will guide me. His right hand will
hold me fast.
God has proven that time
and time to me. I rest easy and my heart is full of gratitude.
