An Ash Plume

OK...let's take a closer look at what is really causing all the stink in Europe.

Under the right conditions, most people would look at this amazing image and stand in awe at how small humanity really is next to Mother Nature's awesome power and splendor.

If you are at your parent's house in Stockholm, Sweden with a magnificent temple in the front yard, Marabou chocolate and meatballs in the pantry, a washer and dryer, soft beds with dynes, a clean bathroom, and your favorite Mo and Papa, then this is spectacular.

If you are being bled to death financially in a hotel, wearing dirty clothes, sleeping on a cot in Amsterdam, eating another 10 dollar hamburger at McDonalds, and using public restrooms that you have to pay for, then this is a nightmare. 

My heart and soul aches for those people who are suffering in any way because of this event. I spent several days paniking about how quickly we could be in trouble financially if we had to continue to pay for a hotel that raised its rates 50% the night after the volcano erupted or how I would be handling it if our family were stranded at an airport with no where to sleep and absolutely no information and/or options.

I have thought several times about how this event would have affected me if I were at home as an observer versus being on this side of the world trying to find a way. 

We have been so incredibly blessed. I have had the thought several times that really in life we aren't always going to get what we want but we sure are lucky to get exactly what we need...whether that be physical, emotional, spiritual, mental...it all applies.

We were in Copenhagen when the Icelandic volcano erupted. The plan was to leave Copenhagen on Saturday, fly to Amsterdam then to Minneapolis and on to Utah. In a moment, not only did all that change, but we had no idea how it was going to play out. Our flight was cancelled because the airport was closed but our airlines did not contact us and they could not be reached. We were staying in a hotel that raised its prices 50% after the volcano erupted...but we realized we were lucky to be able to have a place to stay. The hotel did not have a single public phone to be found...not even phones in the rooms...and all we had were our American cell phones with outrageous international rates. Staying on the phone for 2 hours to talk to an airline representative would have cost us our children's meager college funds. Luckily, my husband had his laptop.

We ate lots of McDonalds cheeseburgers. We finished off a jar of Nutella. We ate lots of oranges and pears and bread. But we were lucky that we had food and weren't hungry. We spent 2 days at the National Museum in Copenhagen because it was free and had oodles of cool stuff to look at and play with. And we tried to figure out what to do.

We wanted to come back to Stockholm but we didn't know if that was going to create problems with our original flight itinerary...we kept checking the trains and buses and they were selling out fast. Finally, we decided we needed to be with my parents...not only financially, but emotionally. We were in the center of Copenhagen and we had no idea how long this was going to last. Saturday night we got online and found the only bus/train left out of Copenhagen for the next few days...we booked it.

Sunday morning we climbed on a bus and braced ourselves for a 9 hour bus trip to Stockholm. Now remember...we have been in Scandinavia for 17 days with a 9, 7, and 5 year old. They have been on trains, ferries, buses, rental vans, and cars. They have been dragged all over for days at a time on foot. They have been to different hotels in different cities and watched lots of German cartoons. We felt like we had pushed them pretty far and hard. But we climbed on that bus and never in my life have I felt the prayers of others so vividly. I knew people who loved us and were concerned about us were praying that we would be safe. I could feel that. I felt peaceful and calm. My 3 children sat on that bus without one incident. They sat quietly and calmly and were happy without anything more than a couple of activity books, some blank paper and a bag of Littlest Pet Shop figures. And as the bus pulled into Stockholm, Chris and I looked at each other and marvelled at how blessed we had been. We found a way back to Stockholm.The bus ride literally went by in the blink of an eye...I don't know how to describe it...time wasn't time. It went by so quickly and we were in awe at how powerfully we felt the blessings of the Lord. And waiting at the bus stop was my father who loaded us into a car and drove us back to their beautiful home in Stockholm. I just feel so grateful.

Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for the tangible love and support and encouragement we have felt. While this experience has not been one where we were in any danger or life-threatening situation, we did feel very concerned about the financial implications and how our children would handle not only the stress of the last 17 days, but also the stress of having a volcano erupt and what that meant for getting home safely.

I am so grateful to my parents. I am so grateful that they helped us find a way back. I am so grateful that they didn't blink an eye at welcoming 5 people back into their home and lives. I am beyond grateful for this extra time with them. When I said good-bye to them in Roskilde, I stood and sobbed in my husband's arms. It was so hard to see them go. This is a gift...

And so I'm re-learning that I am not in control. I will continue to make plans and set goals and try to be prepared but I will also remember that ultimately, I'm not in control and I'm grateful because over and over I get exactly what I need...and it is so much better than always getting what I think I want. I'm learning it is OK to let go of the control and learn to relax and savor the journey.

I think the volcano is magnificent. The chocolate is so delicious. And tonight I sat in my parent's living room in Stockholm with the sun setting through the window and listened to my 3 children give a Family Home Evening lesson about the temple that took my breath away.

What a journey!