Hearing that an event is canceled is something we have heard frequently in the last year and a half. Ready to move past the isolation of the pandemic, we decided to head to Alaska. This was a dream trip for us.
When we take a big trip, we allow each person one activity that matters the most to them. Usually, it is seeing a certain site or taking a particular hike. On this trip it was halibut fishing for my husband and a fly in to Mt. Denali for me.
We scheduled the fishing months in advance to ensure a spot on a charter. For the flight we waited. Weather can be a big issue, so hubby didn’t want to commit too far in advance which made me nervous we would miss out on the experience.
We were one day into the trip when we received an email saying the halibut fishing was canceled. The boat was down for the season. The disappointment on my husbands face was heartbreaking. He called every charter company he could find with no luck. He even tried networking. He brought it up everywhere we went in hopes someone had a connection.
The next day I met a gentleman who showed me pictures of his fly in and glacial landing a couple of days before. I was so excited. He gave all the details I needed to schedule our flight. The fly in is on a small bush plane. They only fly in good conditions and weather was a big concern. We had been in rain and clouds for days, but they had an opening so we scheduled our flight.
It was a cloudy morning, but I was hopeful that our destination 60 miles away by air had sights for us to see. We arrived for check in for our flight only to find out they were canceling all flights for the day. My disappointment was visible all over my face.
After some time of pouting, I started to lean into what others were reminding me.
23 This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lordhas made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:23-24 NRSV).
I needed an attitude adjustment. I chose joy on a gloomy disappointing day trusting that the best of the trip was yet to come. It wasn’t simple and took some time, but I wasn’t going to let my attitude ruin the trip. I started looking for the positive.
Regardless if we get what we want, God is in the midst of it and there is something to be thankful for.
Curt put his name on a waiting list that was 20 people deep. At 6:30 the next morning, he got the call. He and his friend (another couple traveling with us) had 20 minutes to get to the pier. He caught halibut and lingcod. Our last day was sunny and warm, so Curt started calling to see if we could do a fly around Denali. They had one opening left for four people. We drove four hours north to fly for an hour and then drove two hours back to Anchorage to fly home.
Being canceled causes a lot of disappointment, but it’s what we do with it that matters. What do you do with disappointment? Share your experience here and breathe life and bring hope to others.