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My destination is West Palm Beach, Florida. No, it’s not for recreation or a vacation. Yeah, it’s work.
But, it is also the best kind of work. It isn’t for money. I do it as a volunteer, as a service for the King.
Four good friends and I collect our hearts and dreams for a distant country. We have all been there and our hearts have been broken for a people who have been brutalized, abused and oppressed by some of humanity’s worst. We love the gentle people of Cambodia and believe that the peace of God that has been given to us in Christ can also be a huge blessing to this fragile country.
To get to my buddies and for us to engage in this labor of love I must make a long journey. I live in San Francisco. It is a long way to the west coast of the state that hangs off of the southeastern seaboard of the lower 48.
My flight is at 6AM. Yes, that means the plane leaves at 6 in the morning. I must arrive for boarding that starts at 530AM.
Do you work backwards with your schedules too? If I must be at the gate by 530AM then I know that I have to set my alarm for 300AM. Yup, who gets up at that hour?
I know some who go to bed at that hour but I don’t know a soul who gets up at that time. Of course I set two alarms but as usual, I am awake waiting for each alarm to trigger itself. A hot shower wakes me up by a few percentage points. Is this the beginning of a great journey?
My bags are mostly packed from the night before. Last minute items are tossed in and I load up my rig. Quietly, as my engine starts I think through my route, measure my itinerary in my mind and then start the drive to Long Term Parking.
With my rig parked in a secure garage I settle into a mental rehearsal of what I need to do to get ready for the plan ride. My ticket has a glitch. My agent used their company credit card so my card was not accepted. Rats!
A very pleasant agent helped me through this tiny bump in the road. Soon I had my bag checked and I was now waiting in the security line. Oh, boy, this is going to be an unforgettable trip.
photo credit: brucefong cellphone photography
