Unplanned and Unexpected (My Pandemic Story)- Part 2

 ....continued from previous post (Check out Part 1)

After being "trapped" Stateside for two hundred days due to the pandemic, I decided I would spend my last night at a friend's house in Virginia. I would be flying out of Norfolk, VA and my flight was scheduled to leave at 7am. The night before my flight it started to rain… and it rained… and it rained… and it rained. When we awoke in the morning, there was widespread flooding throughout the Hampton Roads area.

When we left the house that morning at 4:30am to head to the airport, we didn’t realize the extent of the flooding, until we decided to detour around one of the tunnels and cut through a low-lying neighborhood. As we saw the water covering the roadway, we thought it was just a little water so we continued on through… but the water got deeper… and deeper… and as we looked ahead we saw cars stranded ahead of us in the water. My friend stopped her car and wanted to turn around. I quickly realized that that was not an option as there were cars behind us and the water was deeper on the edges of the roadway. I encouraged my friend to keep moving forward all though I honestly wasn’t sure it was the right decision.

My AWESOME friend

She started to pray out loud as we inched deeper into the water. I joined her in prayer. As we moved forward, the water got deeper. As the water got deeper. we prayed louder.

I was sure the water was going to start coming in the bottom of the doors as I watched the cars in front of us. There were cars stalling all around us, and I began to doubt that I would be making it to the airport. I began to think that I would not make it home, that I would be delayed… again. I began to feel something like a righteous anger rise up in me, and I felt an urge to pray against this hinderance and declare that THIS WOULD NOT DETER ME.

As we turned off the main road and onto a side road, waves of water were surrounding the car. The engine started to sputter and I kept telling my friend to “stay on the gas”. “I am. I am. The car is dying,” she replied. We kept praying as I felt the car slow. No. No. This is not how this story ends. I cannot miss this flight. I had been stranded in the United States for 200 days, and I was not waiting another day to go home. We continued to pray. We could see the entrance to the interstate ahead. Should we get on the interstate? I was worried about getting on the interstate and the car dying in the tunnel. How would we get help if we were in the tunnel? The car continued to move slowly forward as the lights and alarms sounded on the dashboard and I held my breath.

I encouraged my friend to pull into a gas station near the entrance to the interstate. We pulled in and tried to decide what we would do. We kept praying as I tried to call an Uber or a Lyft but NOTHING was available. No one could get to where we were. I was worried about my friend's car... what kind of damage had we done trying to get through that water? Time continued moving forward, and I was worried about not making it to the airport on time. 

My friend was willing to try to make it to the airport. The entrance to the interstate was close, and there was no flooding on the interstate. In my spirit, I felt an urging to move and go forward. So we decided to take a chance.

As we puttered up the interstate ramp I fought against the idea of being stuck in the tunnel. I prayed against permanent damage to my friend’s car. I prayed that we would make it to the airport. While I was praying, I was reminded of all the times God had protected me over the past five years in Guatemala. I heard Him whisper to my heart “you don’t think I’ve got this?”. I laughed out loud and continued praying as we slowly began to pick up speed.

At the Airport

When we took the exit to the airport, I was laughing, crying, and praying all at the same time. I almost couldn’t believe it when we pulled up in front of the airport and stopped. I had made it to the airport. We drove through a flood, and we made it to the airport.

I unloaded my bags, hugged my friend, and entered the airport crying tears of relief. I continued crying as I checked my bags and realized that I WAS FINALLY GOING HOME.

I cried again in Dallas when I saw the sign that said Guatemala City at my gate.

However, I cried the hardest when after 200 days apart, I walked out of the airport in Guatemala City and into the arms of my husband. I clung to him as the tears of frustration and fear fell all around us. I WAS FINALLY HOME.

REUNITED

200 days apart from my husband. God did so many miracles during those 200 days. He gifted me time with my family. He gifted me memories and experiences that I wouldn’t have had. He put me with the right people at the right time to help me make it through the darkness. He brought me through a flood and protected my friend’s car from ANY damage whatsoever (no lights, no alarms, NOTHING). He strengthened and grew my marriage in ways that I still can’t explain.

But God’s not done yet. It’s November, and we’re still in the midst of this pandemic. There is still uncertainty and darkness lurking all around. BUT… GOD. He has been with us every step of this pandemic… through the joy, through the tears, through the laughter, through the moments when we didn’t think we could take anymore. He will be there tomorrow. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but He does and HE IS GOOD.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate your friendship, prayers and support. To find out more about our ministry in Guatemala, check out our website: www.newstrengthgt.com 

-Meaghen