if you are friends with me on facebook then you probably have seen a lot of this story. i was in Orlando this weekend for the launch of Genesis Church. Tim Grandstaff and the team did an excellent job. after weeding out the visitors from home and the on-lookers that seem to attend every church plant launch and then disappear, i figure Genesis will settle in at about 100 – 105. great start!

but i digress, i got to the airport early hoping to catch an early flight. i have learned my lesson, get on the internet to find out what is happening. well i had turned my car in before I found out that airports were jammed because of back-ups in ATL. so no early flight. that’s okay i say to self, “self go find a restaurant with a TV watching the nfl playoffs.” so self obeyed.

then at half-time i head to the terminal and security. i get through security and my phone rings. Delta, your flight is delayed until 8:40. not too bad i tell self, “at least you’ll get home tonight.” call wife, tell her the bad news. decide to get a coke and watch the rest of the game.

go to the gate. the 3:30 crowd (it’s 7 p.m.) is still waiting to take off. getting a little nervous, don’t panic. they usher everyone with boarding passes onto the plane the plane headed to Atlanta. 8:00 p.m. plane pushes away from terminal. 5 minutes pass at which time the lady behind the counter says, “flight 1033 to Atlanta has been canceled. you should probably hurry to the phone bank and make other arrangements. at which time there is a stampede. i being old and hobbled because of a bad knee am not the first or second person in line at a bank of 12 phones. i’ll beat the system i tell self, “just call the Delta line.” on hold for 20 minutes (remember there are several folks at the phone bank).

Lady at the other end says, “sorry Mr. Akins but the next flight out is 6:30 in the a.m. and because it is weather related there are no hotel vouchers for you but i’ll be glad to put you in touch with some preferred partners of Delta.” so i start to figure. 9:15 p.m. – 20 minutes to phone bank to call a hotel shuttle. 9:40 – 20 minute ride to hotel – 10 p.m. – 20 minutes to check in at standard rates because I didn’t plan ahead for the tornados in GA. – 10:20 – an hour to get over the day’s excitement – 11:20 – have to be up at 3:15 to shower and catch the 4:15 shuttle to the airport to go back through security – to be at the gate at 5: 15 to board at 6 to take-off at 6:30. maybe 4 hours sleep.

so i say to self, “why waste the churches money? just stay here in the terminal.” i get to watch the entire Saints/Vikings playoff game. buy me a late snack because I pretty much missed dinner. sit down with 2 black pastors that have been at some sort of conference and that also had to catch early flights to their respective cities in the a.m. bottom line, we talk, we laugh, we doze. i get maybe 2 hours of sleep on the floor of the Orlando airport, when the crew wasn’t cleaning and vacuuming and the announcer was not announcing for the hundreth time, “The terroristic threat level is at Code Orange. Please do not leave your bag …” they play that all night even when there is no one there.

i did get another nice nap on the plane ride. so i’m in the office with about 3.5 hours sleep.

what is the lesson in this? 1. know your situation. i might not have gone to the airport so early had i checked on the flight schedule. 2. in all situations be prepared. don’t get locked into someone else’s time schedule. plan ahead. and plan for every contingency. i am proud to say that i had an extra pair of clean underwear just in case. my momma taught me that one. 3. when things are out of your control. there is no reason to go crazy. some did. the Delta counter people are not God, they did not cause the storm. i’m not sure they handled the information in a great manner but no one is perfect. 4. even when tired the work goes on. i came to the office, albeit a little late. i’ve got stuff to do. 5. when it’s all over learn a lesson. next week i’m driving to Charleston for the River Church launch. 6. share your foibles with others. they can grow.

seriously, when you are preparing to launch something will go wrong. how you handle that will tell people a whole lot about your leadership, your attitude, and your adaptability. teach them well how to handle adversity, it is coming. think i’ll take a nap now.

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