6 Hours in Paris
I love traveling!! I love gazing at the window at the passing sights and walking around aimlessly to stumble upon tourist attractions. I love experiencing new cultures- not just new languages, but also new norms, nuances, smells.. It opens my eyes to how vast the world is and how unique God made everyone. So you would think that I would be up and celebrating over a 6 hour layover in Paris! Au contraire!
You see, I wanted to go to Paris with Patrick. Sure, it would have been a great romantic getaway, perhaps even a honeymoon spot (I find out later that he was planning a trip to Paris all along for our honeymoon). But more than that, I wanted to go to Paris with him because he would totally be in control of the trip. The French he learned in high school would come on handy. He would be able to relate and narrate the history of the country from all his readings. He could continue practicing his fake French accent that he often used with me to cheer me up while I was drowning in pharmacy school workload. This was what we imagined together- a trip to Paris to solidify that he would be the man of my life and always have everything in control.
But mere man is never in control- God is! He was in control when Patrick passed away 7 months ago. He was in control when Air France was significantly cheaper than other airline fares. He knew what he was doing even though it REALLY DOES NOT make sense in our mere human minds. And because I believe God was catering to me personally, I took this Paris layover as a lesson from him.
While I was waiting for my flight to Paris, I read about the city online. I decided that I would not go to the Eiffel Tower, but to Notre Dame chapel instead. I read about the different modes of transportation, foods to eat,the pickpocketer scares and the overwhelming predominance of the French language. I debated if I should put my new knowledge to use.. I made a pros and cons list in my head. Pros: new city, once in a lifetime opportunity, dream destination. Cons: time restraints, language barrier, emotional connotation. Final decision: just go with the flow.
I landed at the airport and I was not too hurried. I walked to the customs line (there was no line) and I got stamped. Then I thought, well if I could exchange money I'll go, and next thing you know, I'm at an exchange booth getting euros. Then I stopped by a couple tourist booths that slowly and eventually led me to the train station. I met a wonderful lady on the train who told me exactly what to do. I had a great time visiting the chapel and got back to the airport with enough time to spare!
Those 6 hours taught me so much! I learned that I can still enjoy life without feeling guilty about it. I learned that all it takes is one small step of faith into the unknown. God will take that one small step to bring something beautiful. He does not always give us a full blueprint of our life, but He guides us at each step and keeps us moving forward. If we truly believe in God's goodness and embrace that we too are His beloved children, event depressing trip to Paris can be transformed to a wonderful destination and the beginning of new things.
I love traveling!! I love gazing at the window at the passing sights and walking around aimlessly to stumble upon tourist attractions. I love experiencing new cultures- not just new languages, but also new norms, nuances, smells.. It opens my eyes to how vast the world is and how unique God made everyone. So you would think that I would be up and celebrating over a 6 hour layover in Paris! Au contraire!
You see, I wanted to go to Paris with Patrick. Sure, it would have been a great romantic getaway, perhaps even a honeymoon spot (I find out later that he was planning a trip to Paris all along for our honeymoon). But more than that, I wanted to go to Paris with him because he would totally be in control of the trip. The French he learned in high school would come on handy. He would be able to relate and narrate the history of the country from all his readings. He could continue practicing his fake French accent that he often used with me to cheer me up while I was drowning in pharmacy school workload. This was what we imagined together- a trip to Paris to solidify that he would be the man of my life and always have everything in control.
But mere man is never in control- God is! He was in control when Patrick passed away 7 months ago. He was in control when Air France was significantly cheaper than other airline fares. He knew what he was doing even though it REALLY DOES NOT make sense in our mere human minds. And because I believe God was catering to me personally, I took this Paris layover as a lesson from him.
While I was waiting for my flight to Paris, I read about the city online. I decided that I would not go to the Eiffel Tower, but to Notre Dame chapel instead. I read about the different modes of transportation, foods to eat,the pickpocketer scares and the overwhelming predominance of the French language. I debated if I should put my new knowledge to use.. I made a pros and cons list in my head. Pros: new city, once in a lifetime opportunity, dream destination. Cons: time restraints, language barrier, emotional connotation. Final decision: just go with the flow.
I landed at the airport and I was not too hurried. I walked to the customs line (there was no line) and I got stamped. Then I thought, well if I could exchange money I'll go, and next thing you know, I'm at an exchange booth getting euros. Then I stopped by a couple tourist booths that slowly and eventually led me to the train station. I met a wonderful lady on the train who told me exactly what to do. I had a great time visiting the chapel and got back to the airport with enough time to spare!
Those 6 hours taught me so much! I learned that I can still enjoy life without feeling guilty about it. I learned that all it takes is one small step of faith into the unknown. God will take that one small step to bring something beautiful. He does not always give us a full blueprint of our life, but He guides us at each step and keeps us moving forward. If we truly believe in God's goodness and embrace that we too are His beloved children, event depressing trip to Paris can be transformed to a wonderful destination and the beginning of new things.
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