This afternoon my oldest daughter is flying to California for twelve days. We live in Pennsylvania. She will be on the airplane by herself. She will change planes by herself.
Her suitcase is packed.
She is ready to leave.
She flew on a plane several years ago without me. She went to New Orleans on a missions trip with her youth group at Santa Cruz Bible church. I trusted her youth group leader, Jared Michelson, to protect her. The first time I met Jared was to talk bout the missions trip he was leading and taking my daughter on.
He was sitting behind a desk when my daughter and I walked in. He stood up, reached out his hand to me, and said, “Hi, I’m Jared. Nice to meet you.”
I said, “My name if Pamela Hodges, you harm my daughter, prepare to die.” Have you see the movie Princess Bride?
Today, she is travelling alone.
When her plane lands tonight at 10:30 at the San Francisco airport, she will be 2923.11 miles away from home. It would take me 43 hours and 59 minutes to drive to California if she needed me.
My youngest daughter wrote our phone number on her arm, in case she got hit by a car when she rode her bicycle around the block. I want to write my phone number in my oldest daughters shoe. She is asleep now. Her shoes are on her desk.
I won’t sneak in her room and grab a shoe.
I will get on my knees and pray.
I will trust.
I will trust in the Lord, with all my heart, and lean not on my own understanding. In all my ways I will acknowledge him, and he will direct my path.
Her plane leaves at five. The GPS will help me find the airport.
God will direct me on my new path, as my daughter prepares to leave home.