Amazing Ohio Trip: April 23-30

 

 

Throughout my life, my Dad has often stressed the importance of goal setting.  It didn't really click when I was younger, but there were often times when I would re-evaluate my life and set goals for myself.  But usually I would not revisit the page in my journal that I'd written down my goals and so many times those goals were forgotten. 

 

But I've always felt a need to do so, and it's never at New Years when a lot of people are making resolutions, it's usually at a time when I am frustrated and want to do more in my life.

 

 

As an adult, the importance of goals has finally sunken deep within in me, and I can see that as I set them every so often and review them from time to time, I feel a satisfying sense of purpose and I accomplish things I would not normally have been able to.

 

 

Just before my parents left to go on their mission, I woke up early one morning.  I got up and went downstairs and felt a strong impression that I should write down some goals for myself to achieve in the next few years.  I wrote down anything I REALLY wanted to do, no matter how impossible it seemed.  I felt a sweet feeling as I did so.  It was interesting as well, that most of my goals had to do with family and with getting out of debt and being able to serve a mission with Brad someday when we retire.

 

 

My parents had their mission call to Ohio, and I really wanted to visit them, so I wrote it down.  It felt impossible, I'd already priced tickets and they were $400 per person.  With our goal of getting out of debt, that didn't seem to be in line with that large goal that was consuming our lives at the time.  But as I wrote it down, I had a great feeling that the Lord would support me in that goal.

 

 

That felt incredible.  So I told my parents I was going to try and come see them on their mission and if not the whole family, then maybe at least I could come for a quick weekend. 

 

 

A few months later, Brad lost his job.  Now this goal really seemed impossible.  I wasn't sure if I was being selfish to pray about it, but I did, and I felt once again that the Lord would support me in this. 

 

 

About six months later, Brad landed a great new job.  It was such a happy day! Once again, it might be a possibility.  I had joined some email lists that send you the lowest flights for those routes and the price had not varied from $400.  That was depressing.  And then several months later, my parents were transferred from the Akron area to the Cleveland area and now the closest airport to them was Detroit.  Once again, I signed up for emails.  I started seeing some great deals, but I didn't have the money set aside yet to buy anything. . . a few months later, we had set aside enough money to go if there was a great deal, and I hadn't seen any great deals since the last one 2 months ago.  I was talking to my Mom on the phone and she was expressing worry that it might not happen.

 

I had a feeling that things would work out and I expressed that I felt everything would work out.  Not even an hour later, I got an email with a cheap deal alert!  I was jumping up and down, feeling overwhelmed that the Lord had answered my prayers after I expressed faith in Him.  It was such a humble, tender moment when I felt the love of my Father in Heaven, working miracles on my behalf, so I could do something that may not have been a need, but was so important to me. 

 

My brother and his family booked tickets for the week before my trip, so suddenly my parents had 2 weeks worth of family headed their way.  We were so excited . . .