Trust in the Lord with all thine heart…Prov. 3:5
The week of work before the break was festive, and everyone was in a good mood, anticipating the start of the holiday break. Employees were giving each other cards and gifts to acknowledge their appreciation for one another. The administration hosted a Christmas party for the staff, and each person received a gift.
I was excited about the start of the Christmas break because we would leave on our way to New Orleans for the Christmas holiday on Sunday. As we packed for the trip, Gene and I wanted to be sure we didn’t have too many clothes so our bags would fit under the seat, and we only had what we needed and not an excess of clothing.
Our flight left in the afternoon, so we got up early, ate breakfast, and called an Uber to take us to the airport. After going through the TSA, we waited, and as we waited, we prayed about our upcoming trip. Our prayer for traveling is for God to protect us from dangers seen and unseen.
“Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling”. Psa. 91:9-10. Flying has never been my forte, so this prayer is always a part of a constant theme that runs through our family.
While sitting and waiting for the airline attendant to start the boarding process, Gene told me to ask the flight attendant if we could get our seats moved up. “We already have seats close; they won’t move us up,” I replied. After a few minutes, I thought, what harm could it do? All that can happen is the attendant says, unable to move us up. I went up to the desk and asked if we could move our seats up. She asked for our boarding passes and looked in the airline system; a few minutes later, she said we could move up to 1A and 1C.
I couldn’t believe it was possible, especially since the announcement was that this was a full flight. The thought that entered my mind was the scripture “You have not because you ask not” in James 4:2
Shortly afterward, we boarded the plane and arrived in New Orleans an hour and a half later. We called Uber and were taken to the hotel on Canal St., directly across from Caesars Casino. After checking in and unpacking, we realized that finding a place to eat dinner and get water and snacks was the next step on our agenda. The desk clerk gave us directions where we could go by walking or driving down Canal Street to the 800 block, where there were plenty of eating places and drug stores on the corner of Canal and Bourbon St. to get snacks.
We left the hotel, walking down Canal St around 6:00 PM in anticipation of what delicious meal we could find now that we were in New Orleans. We strolled down Canal St. along with other Christmas shoppers, looking at the lights and taking in the hustle and bustle of the crowd we were a part of during this season. Zesty Creole and Bar is where we landed for dinner. The Jambalaya and Gumbo w/biscuits were scrumptious. After dinner, we stopped at the drugstore, picked up snacks, and returned to the hotel.
Each morning, we had coffee and beignets at Benny’s Beignets next door to the hotel. Dinner during the week was at a different restaurant to sample the cuisine that is New Orleans. We went by Uber to the restaurants such as Neyow’s Creole Café, Couvant French Brasserie, and Luke Restaurant. On Thursday morning, we checked out and went for coffee and beignets. A visit to Canal Place was fun, and there were so many great shopping venues to explore. On our last day, we visited Caesar’s and had lunch. After lunch, we called Uber and headed to the airport. Our flight was to leave at 8:00, but due to the airline’s difficulty, our plan was delayed until 10:30. We arrived home via Uber at 2:30 AM on Friday, Dec. 27th.
I woke up on Jan. 1st and heard the news about the loss of lives by the driver of a car hitting and killing innocent people who were in New Orleans enjoying the New Year with friends and family on Bourbon St. Hearing this left me with a range of emotions. First was the shock of how something like this could happen. Did this occur this year, or were the newscasters relating something that had happened on a previous New Year’s? Then I realized this just happened a few hours ago. Immediately, the sadness I felt was unimaginable; how devastated the family and friends of the victims must feel. I can’t even imagine the depth of grief that each loved one of the victims must be experiencing due to this sudden tragedy.
What came to mind was how fragile life is; it is truly here today and gone today. No matter how careful one may be, there is no guarantee that when you step out of your door, you will walk back in it later that day. I thought about how many times during the week of Christmas, we walked out of the hotel and crossed streets, coming and going without incident. Every second of every day is special, and I consider it an opportunity to do good and try to make the world a better place in which to live, not just for myself but for others. “To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” Eccl. 3:3 (KJV)
To honor the memory of those who were killed, donating to GoFundMe accounts that have been established is one way. However, the best way is to practice gratitude daily to God through positive attitudes and actions and express love and appreciation in our relationships more frequently.
I am sincerely and profoundly thankful that God spared our lives and protected us from “dangers seen and unseen.” Knowing that my life is not my own and that there is a higher power than myself is such a satisfying feeling. I am thankful for my life, health, and strength. The Bible states in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God“.
This is why I am so thankful that I can cast my burdens on him. Keeping my relationship with God is extremely important so that no matter what comes against me, I know he will take care of me. This is the most important relationship that I will ever have in my life.
Keep an Attitude of Gratitude (AG) throughout the year.
HAPPY NEW YEAR