A Bit of Irony

When we heard that Nathan's parents would be serving a mission in Brazil we decided that it would be the experience of a lifetime to take the kids and go visit. When we finally decided to commit and I was online booking the flight I sat staring at the computer screen for what seemed like forever trying to get up the courage to hit the purchase button. I really thought that I might throw up. Buying tickets for 6 people was not in the least bit cheap. In fact, it was painfully expensive. I was worried about the 2 days of flight time on each end of the trip and the adjustment to different kinds of food and just generally worrying about the safety of my family. But, I knew that it would be a wonderful experience and so with a violently shaking hand and a prayer in my heart, I pushed the purchase button.
A few months later we got an email from Nathan's Mom saying that she was having some heart problems and they were on their way home to the states to receive medical treatment. I'm not gonna lie, Panic struck my heart at the massive amount of money that had been spent on airline tickets that were now not going to be used. I am so grateful that all is well with his Mom and that is definitely the most important thing, but I have to keep reminding myself of that and stop asking myself why I pushed the purchase button. The airline is "kind enough" to only charge us a $250.00 fee PER ticket to change our flights in for something else. The other "kindness" to our plight is that all 6 of us have to get on an airplane to use the credits as well as the per ticket fee. I think we have finally come up with a plan to use the tickets so all is well. I know the Lord does things for a reason and we were supposed to get those tickets to go to Brazil, but why? I guess I probably ask that question too much and maybe that's why these things continue to happen to me

Now, the bit of irony...... My husband was so generous to let me go to Hawaii with my very good friend for a week recently. While I was there playing in the ocean I experienced a very painful stinging sensation. What was this? A jellyfish sting. From what kind of jellyfish? A Portuguese Man of War. So not only am I not going to Brazil where they speak Portuguese, but a Portuguese stinking jellyfish stung my butt! How ironic is that? Sometimes I think that our Father in Heaven must have a pretty good sense of humor. I can also picture him saying, "you want something to cry about? I'll give you something to cry about" and then him having a good chuckle when I figure out from the lifeguard on duty the kind of jellyfish that stung me. Something else I learned was that it was much better to be stung by that kind than a box jellyfish that is on the other side of the island. That one requires some vinegar or someone peeing on your leg to neutralize the sting.

So there is lots to be grateful for! Nate's mom is home and doing well and will be around for many years to come. The sting of the airline tickets could have been worse and the sting of a jellyfish could have been worse. We found an alternate travel plan that everyone in my family is pleased about and I have the most amazing husband a girl could ever hope to marry!

Apparently when the wind is blowing a lot these can be found all along the shores and I was person number 15 of the day that had been stung by one of these.