Wednesday's Walk...Alaska: Then and Now

Welcome to my lazy Wednesday's walk down memory lane to Alaska.  There are so many posts I could link to about Alaska, but today's tells a long story in a short kind of way. 
There are a number of reasons that Alaska is on my mind for today's post...

I had a dream last night that took me back to my very first visit to The Last Frontier.  Did that ever seem real!  The places and faces of AK are never far from my heart.  Never.
I'm preparing to share about my mission trips to AK with a group of children in January.  I've gone over alot of my info again, not to mention 100's of pictures, in preparation for next month's meeting.  I do not tire of sharing about God's work in AK...it's for His glory that I do it.
And, finally, maybe the main reason is the fact that I have purchased my ticket to return again next summer, if the Lord so wills.  There's a story to this ticket that is another testimony to how good God is all the time! 
I've been watching ticket prices for a couple of months now.  Wanting to travel this year with Delta, for miles purposes among other nice amenities they offer over the other airlines, I've been focusing my attention on their prices and flight times.  I was watching for the last two weeks in July.  That's basically around the time I've gone the past three summers, and it's the timeline I had spoken about to the missionary who coordinates staff and teams to come up for the summer.
On December 1st I had done my homework, had my timeline all planned out, and my husband's okay to purchase my ticket.  All I had to do was click "Review and Purchase".
I couldn't do it.  There was no peace in making the click happen right then.  So, unbelievably, I walked away from the computer without buying my ticket.  It was on my heart all afternoon and into the evening hours when prayer meeting started.  I asked for those gathered there to pray for God's direction over plans for returning to AK and that I would make them according to His leading. 

A step in obedience takes one a long way, let me tell you.  I pray often about AK...for many different reasons...but always that God would open and close doors to my going as He sees fit.  Going for my own reasons wouldn't be a good thing.  Not going if He wanted me to go wouldn't be good either.  I don't usually ask other people to pray about it, however.  That night I felt led to.  Not sure as to why, really.  But, I believe it was to see if I would be obedient to His prompting (also often referred to as "nudges" in my posts).  And, also to see if I was willing to admit I couldn't do it without help.  Not only help from God, but from my church family. 
Not but a couple of minutes, at most, went by when a thought came to mind to change the dates of my trip to the last week of July through the first week of August.  Perfect peace. 
I couldn't wait to get home and check out my new timeline.  Those seconds it took for the checking on flights thing to do its thing seemed to take forever.  Finally, the results came.
The first listing was not only a nonstop flight, but it was the cheapest fare I had come across in my many weeks of watching...about $100 cheaper than the similar flight I was thinking of choosing just hours earlier.  Click! went my mouse and I found myself with my fourth ticket to the state that holds half my heart.     
More than just for saving some money, I believe God led me to different weeks because those are the dates He wants me to serve in Alaska.  He has had a specific plan for me in Alaska the past three years (but I never knew what they were until I was there), so why would this year be any different?  He has a plan.  That's all I need to know.

"We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction."  1 Thessalonians 1:2-5a