Oceans in the Desert

by Kathi Pelton

I am in awe at how God orchestrated the divine appointment I had on an airplane this past Friday.

I was flying Southwest Airlines which is an airline that gives you three group that you board with and then it is a matter of getting whatever seats are available. I always pre-check 24-hours ahead when flying Southwest in order to get in the first group boarding. Somehow for this trip I completely forgot until not many hours before the flight. I am traveling with my 25-year old daughter, Amy, so now we were both put into the last group to board which would mean we wouldn’t sit together and we’d both get middle seats. Honestly, I was a bit frustrated at my forgetfulness since pre-check in had been on my mind and Was not something I ever forget to do.

When it was time for our last group to board the plane the counter person announced to our group that it will be a full plane and to take the first seat available. As I walked onto the plane I set my purse on the first seats available directly in front of my daughter. I then realized there wasn’t any overhead room for my carry-on. Leaving my purse on my seat, I went further down the aisle find an overhead compartment to store my carry-on case.

After storing it about ten rows back from where I’d set me purse down the flight attendant asked if I could sit down near where I was. I first began to sit next to a man and she said, “No, not there.” (he was a very large man so I think she was being kind to us both). So I looked on the other side and saw two women talking; one on the aisle and one by the window and asked if I could sit between them. They agreed even though they were obviously traveling together.

My daughter brought me my purse from the original seat that I had chosen and as she did I immediately thought, “God moved me for a reason.” So I began to listen.

About thirty minutes into the flight I looked at the lady near the window and heard the Lord say, “Tell her that daughter will be okay.” Then I asked the Lord if He had more to say and He said, “Ask her if her daughter’s middle name is Rose because she will fully blossom and fulfill her purpose in life.”

She had headphones in so I waited so as to not interrupt her. Finally, I just excused myself to speak to her. When I told her that the Lord spoke to me to tell her that her daughter was going to be okay her eyes filled with tears and she said, “My 16 year old daughter was diagnosed with cancer in November.”

This mom was far more scared than her daughter. She said that her daughter was incredible and brace but she was struggling as she watched her daughter going through chemo and losing her beautiful hair. Her daughter had started donating her hair to “locks for love” (they make wigs for children with cancer who have lost their hair) at four years old. Every year her daughter would grow her hair out and then have it cut to donate it to this organization. She even got her community and peers involved in joining her. Now she had cancer and had lost all of her hair.

Then I asked her if her middle name is Rose (honestly doubting my “hearing” because not too many 16 year olds have the name Rose nowadays!). I shared with her that the Lord showed me that she would fully bloom. She said, “Yes! When I was pregnant with her I saw her as a beautiful rose that would bloom over time so I named her Elizabeth Rose.”

There was more but this mom’s heart was put at ease that her daughter would be okay and God confirmed it with a “rose”. She had already believed in God and believed that God was the one who showed her to add the name Rose to her but I could see how this very personal word was taking her brief to a new place and revealing His love in a very tangible way.

I was reminded through this encounter of how God orders and establishes our steps. He orchestrated every step to assure that I would sit in that very seat because a mom’s heart needed the comforting assurance. I could have remained frustrated at forgetting to do early check in, for having to lose my seat, for a crowded plane and for not being near my daughter but the Spirit has taught me that He has my steps and my seats planned ahead of time. Pay attention when you lose your seat or something disrupts your plans because God may be setting you up to be His mouthpiece. What a good, good Father!

Let us all become more aware of God’s divine orchestration and appointments that He puts before us. I’m so grateful that I didn’t give into doubt and hold back the part about her daughter’s middle name being Rose because that was His signature upon the word that made it unmistakable to this mom.

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” Psalm‬ ‭37:5-6‬ ‭

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way…” Psalms‬ ‭37:23‬ ‭

Let us become more aware of how He is ordering our steps!

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Thank you so very much!