Lesson Number Three – Be Patient until the End
Three o’clock in the afternoon was the set time to leave the ship. I went to reception, turned in the cabin keys, received back my passport and walked down the gangway. At the bottom of the gangway many crew members were waiting for me, so I thought. Well, there was a long-term crew leaving at the same time and their friends came to say farewell to them.
The ship’s vehicle drove us to the water taxi, or should I say dodged forklifts, trucks and marine containers, we reached the place to board the water taxi, but it was not there waiting for us. Therefore, we waited and waited. After two hours under the West-African sun, we boarded the launch for the 50 minutes cross to the airport. We checked in twenty minutes before boarding the flight to Brussels.
I sat down on my seat, the rush of adrenaline finally started to subside and I felt relived that we had made. I closed my eyes and said, Lord, you are good in reinforcing the lessons you are teaching me about patience and I have done good. However, it seems that God has a Brazilian sense of humor. He was not done with me.
When I arrived in Chicago from Brussels, the flight Chicago Dallas was late due to weather. In Dallas, the flight to Tyler was also late. I sat on my seat and slept the 50 minutes flight. When we landed in Tyler, the woman seated on the other side of the alley told me, “I was afraid you would not wake up”.
I got my luggage went to the passengers waiting area in front of the airport but no one was there to pick me up. The airport door closed, everyone was gone and I was standing there by myself. At that moment, my patience that was good so far was also gone. I call my daughter and she said I am on my way. When she finally arrived, I was fuming. I learned lesson number three: “Be Patient until the End”.
The ship’s vehicle drove us to the water taxi, or should I say dodged forklifts, trucks and marine containers, we reached the place to board the water taxi, but it was not there waiting for us. Therefore, we waited and waited. After two hours under the West-African sun, we boarded the launch for the 50 minutes cross to the airport. We checked in twenty minutes before boarding the flight to Brussels.
I sat down on my seat, the rush of adrenaline finally started to subside and I felt relived that we had made. I closed my eyes and said, Lord, you are good in reinforcing the lessons you are teaching me about patience and I have done good. However, it seems that God has a Brazilian sense of humor. He was not done with me.
When I arrived in Chicago from Brussels, the flight Chicago Dallas was late due to weather. In Dallas, the flight to Tyler was also late. I sat on my seat and slept the 50 minutes flight. When we landed in Tyler, the woman seated on the other side of the alley told me, “I was afraid you would not wake up”.
I got my luggage went to the passengers waiting area in front of the airport but no one was there to pick me up. The airport door closed, everyone was gone and I was standing there by myself. At that moment, my patience that was good so far was also gone. I call my daughter and she said I am on my way. When she finally arrived, I was fuming. I learned lesson number three: “Be Patient until the End”.
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