I left Columbus, Ohio, before dawn, headed to Houston to speak at the PK Alone Global. My 6:30 a.m. flight boarded early. Everything looked perfect, until it wasn’t.
Minutes before takeoff came the first announcement: “Maintenance issue.” Twenty minutes became an hour, then two. We were deplaned.
I rebooked for 3:07 p.m. We boarded again at 2:50 p.m. Five minutes in, another announcement: another maintenance issue. We were deplaned again.
As the day unfolded, the airport became a living laboratory of human behavior. I watched people respond to the same setback in radically different ways, a father overwhelmed by two restless children, a couple anxious about making a vacation connection, a young man concerned about reporting for orientation at a new job.
One man, who had waited as long as the rest of us, finally gave up. He cancelled his flight in frustration and paced the terminal. Minutes later, when the rescheduled flight was unexpectedly announced, he sprinted back toward the gate, unsure whether the airline would still carry him.
Nearby, a woman appointed herself “defender of the world,” rebuking anyone who expressed frustration. She insisted the airline was “doing us a favor,” especially to one exhausted man who dared to show his displeasure.
Same delay.
Different stories.
Same disruption.
Different pressures.
Those long hours became a classroom of life. And the lessons were undeniable.
- Our responses, not our circumstances define us
Watching these reactions reminded me that life is less about what happens to us and more about what we bring into the moment.
As Olakunle Soriyan teaches, our values, those we have deliberately built over the years become our stability both in days of favor and in days of adversity.
- Life happens, even when you plan well
You can arrive early, prepare thoroughly, and still face disruptions. Effort does not always guarantee outcome. Life has its own infrastructure, often invisible to us. This is not failure; it is simply reality.
- Perfection is not a sustainable foundation
If your peace depends on flawless systems and predictable outcomes, you will live permanently unsettled. Life demands flexibility, not rigidity.
- “Delay” is often interpretation, not reality
A 2½-hour journey became 13 hours. Was that a delay or simply life unfolding? We see only what is visible, but life is shaped by both the visible and the invisible. What we call delay is often character formation, not punishment.
I learned this deeply during our 15-year wait for a child. Waiting is not denial; waiting is preparation.
- Do not bow to superstition, discern, but do not default to fear
While we waited, the couple heading to Mexico said, “If this third flight is cancelled, we’re going home. Something is in the air.”
I disagreed.
Yes, there are rare moments of spiritual restraint, an inner nudge that deserves obedience. But such moments must never become a rule or our default interpretation of setbacks. When they do, disruptions become omens and fear becomes a belief system.
And if we insist on interpreting patterns, why always assume the negative?
What if repeated obstacles mean something greater is forming?
What if resistance is actually a sign that something significant is ahead?
Discernment is spiritual maturity.
Superstition is fear disguised as spirituality.
If I had adopted superstition years ago, fifteen years of trying for a child would have looked like a “sign to stop.” Discernment kept us steady.
- Everything is working together for good
The overarching lesson is this: life will not always happen my way, but I must stay anchored to my values and God’s principles. Life is not a Nollywood script; life is a school.
My posture is never to run out of options or to surrender prematurely, but to keep searching for the next available door.
Final Reflection
Yes, it was a long day.
Yes, the detours were many.
But I arrived in Houston refined, strengthened, and mentally reset.
Life will not always obey your plan.
But life will always honor your God-given purpose.
And sometimes what looks like delay is simply God rearranging your journey so you arrive as the person required for your next assignment.
If you are in the Houston area, you are cordially invited to join us.
Do have an INSPIRED weekend with the family.
Taiwo AKINLAMI 