Learning through lost luggage

I'm now on the U.S. side of the Atlantic, after a very eventful adventure getting here. I'm not quite sure I want to fly through Charles DeGaulle airport ever again as that seems to be where the issues began...from having to wait about 20 min. on the airplane after landing for the busses to arrive; then boarding busses and being driven to the terminal, where we were not allowed to get off the busses for another 20 min. for whatever reason; to missing my connecting flight to the U.S. as a result...along with about 20 other people who missed their connections.

My circuitous route took me from Paris to JFK in NY, where I waited an hour for my luggage, which never arrived; there was a nice man standing there with slips of paper in his hand for those of us whose luggage had not made the flight...so upon going to the Air France lost luggage counter, I learned my luggage supposedly never left Budapest. Interesting. BUT, they promised to get it on the next flight to the U.S. and it would arrive the next day...in the meantime, I'd already missed my flight from JFK to Washington....but good old Delta was able to get me a flight from LaGuardia to Washington Reagan, where, when I arrived, I was to submit a claim for my missing luggage. Problem: there is no Air France desk at Reagan airport......so I did it through Delta, hoping the partner companies would communicate with each other. So, after 24 hours of travel, I finally got to my friends' house and had a hot shower and hit the bed, luggage-less.

I was encouraged by the wonderful woman, with whom I spoke the next morning, at Air France, to drive out to Washington Dulles and submit another claim at the Air France desk. So this I did and lo and behold, they had tracked my bags to....... PARIS!!!! My bags had finally made it to Paris!!! They were scheduled to be on the last flight on Sunday night, arriving at 7:30 in the evening, and would be delivered to me that night!!!!

Sunday night: no luggage....returning my rental car to the airport in Charlottesville, I decided to inquire at the Delta counter about my luggage. Yes, it was in the U.S. and would be arriving on a flight in Charlottesville on MONDAY night at 5:30, from Atlanta!!!!!!!!!

So, Monday night, the phone rings at my friend's house, and it's the luggage delivery people asking for directions.....my luggage arrived at 6:30, completely intact, nothing missing, and nothing broken....WOW!!!

In the past, I would have been freaking out, frustrated, and worrying. For some wonderful reason, God's amazing grace maybe???? I was calm, confident and unconcerned, for the most part, believing that somehow, the Lord was going to bring those bags and all would be well and intact. And He did. I lost no sleep over these missing bags, I did not lose my temper, and I gained a great appreciation for those who have very few clothes, which they must LEARN to be satisfied with and wear again and again. There really is nothing you can do about lost luggage EXCEPT trust the Lord, and I pray in some small, or maybe large way, I've grown in my trust in Him a bit more through this lost luggage adventure.