Stranded by an ash cloud—how I prayed

There I was, stranded at an airport in Chicago, only halfway to my destination.

An ash cloud was moving across the United States from west to east as a result of the 1980 volcanic explosion of Mt. St. Helens, in Washington State. Air travel had been suspended. All indications were pointing to the fact that I was going to be stuck in Chicago for a while. What the heck was I going to do for an indefinite amount of time? I didn’t want to be there. I had no money–not even a credit card–no place to stay, and nothing constructive to do. Or so I thought.

I worked the phone for a couple of hours trying to contact someone, anyone whom I might know in the Chicago area, but to no avail. The phone even quit working at one point. When that happened and I realized how uptight I’d become about all this, I stopped in my tracks and thought, Where is God?

It was then that I started thinking about how God must be right there where I was, since God is all-present. Could I be in a place where I wasn’t supposed to be, where God didn’t have something for me to do? I decided right then to quit fighting it and to accept the purpose God had for me in that unfamiliar city.

I’d learned that another name for God is Good. That meant that all good was right there where I was. I just had to chill out and acknowledge it, to be able to experience it.

Believing what the Bible says about the Lord being a “very present help in trouble,” I calmed down and began to rely on this God I supposedly believed in. I decided I wouldn’t make another phone call or do anything else until I felt at peace, until I felt directed by this all-loving God. The beautiful sunshiny day was calling, so I stepped outside and took some time to read the Bible and pray. I ran across this statement from Isaiah and pondered it for quite a while. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. ( Isa. 54:10)

I thought, WOW! That was quite amazing and exactly what I needed to hear. It described my situation perfectly. God got my attention, was speaking to me, and I continued to listen. I realized that although “the mountain had (literally!) departed” in the explosion, leaving behind a changed atmosphere and gridlock, God was saying to me, that, in truth, His kindness, His agreement to maintain peace, which included purpose and harmony, was not at all changed by this disruption.

The material picture of the ash cloud that seemed so big and beyond anyone’s control suddenly seemed small, compared to the kindness and love of God. I realized God was taking care of everyone throughout the country, at every airport and in the areas where the ash cloud had caused everything to grind to a halt, including my own hometown.

I suddenly realized that this kindness and peace of God was the true substance of life, of my life and everyone else’s. It was the thing that nothing could disrupt or stop—not even an exploding volcano.

Now I was convinced that this kindness and goodness of God was right there with me and that God had the perfect plan for me, that somehow I could be productive right there rather than just wait it out.

After about an hour of reading and praying, I felt very peaceful and asked God what to do next. I felt impelled to call a facility I’d tried to call before when the phone quit working, to see if a person I knew might be working there.

That very person answered the phone. She didn’t give out much hope that there would be any place to stay there. She would check and call me back. But I was confident that God’s kindness and goodness were at work and I wasn’t concerned. I was just doing what I was led to do, step by step. She actually called back to say that within the last few minutes a room had become available, in their living quarters, and I was welcome to rent it. I made my way to the facility, where I met many new friends, enjoyed beautiful weather, and found productive ways to give to this facility, including helping take care of the grounds, which paid my rent, food, and phone bills there.

Stranded? Hardly. I even stayed beyond the time the flights resumed. It turned out to be one of the most incredible, enriching experiences of my life. I learned that God always has a purpose for us—no matter where we are.

Originally appeared on spirituality.com. Republished in the Christian Science Sentinel, April 27, 2010.