Work Place Chaplaincy Scotland Blog

Welcome to Edinburgh!

 

edinburgh airport    Something in the news this week caught the eye of Chic Lidstone, Lead Chaplain (Support), and made him think about how life does not always work out the way we think it should.  Here's Chic's comment :

 

Did you see the recent news about the plane that took off from London City airport bound for Dusseldorf, but ended up landing in Edinburgh?!

The British Airways flight had submitted the wrong paperwork and so had to complete the flight as planned. Later it flew to Dusseldorf, after sitting for several hours on the tarmac at Edinburgh.

The passengers only realised something was wrong when the plane landed and the “welcome to Edinburgh” announcement was made. The passengers first thought it a joke, but the cabin crew confirmed the worst.

I wanted to go to Dusseldorf but landed in Edinburgh. So often our plans don’t work out as we thought, and hoped, they would. Life throws us that proverbial “curved ball”. We thought our job was for life. We thought we would live somewhere for long enough. We thought our health would remain. But the flight plans submitted just did not match!

Emily Perl Kinsgley wrote a poem called “welcome to Holland”. It is one person’s perspective on having a child with additional support needs and coming to terms with a different life than what was anticipated. Instead of the planned for life in “Italy” she finds herself in “Holland”, and discovers an unplanned beauty in windmills and tulips. Whether you are a parent or not, it makes thought provoking reading. (Google “Welcome to Holland” poem)

When we do find ourselves in different circumstances than what we planned for, what do we do and how can we respond? What can we change and persevere with, or, alternatively, do we need to realise this is where I am / we are, and reconcile ourselves to being here and start to find the beauty and the good things in this place? Dusseldorf I am sure is a beautiful city but Edinburgh isn’t bad as well. (OK, not as good as Dundee!)

May we know the difference, and find beauty and strength wherever we land.

From Chic and Geoff.

Geoff.findlay@wpcscotland.co.uk, 07933 167480

Chic.lidstone@wpcscotland.co.uk,  07814 093240

                                                          

 

                                                                                    Chic and Geoff 2018

 

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