Don’t Waste Your Flight
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The following article has been excerpted from Looking for the One by David McIver.
I am booking a flight, and as I look at the available seats, I ask the Holy Spirit to show me his seat assignment.
There are the aisle seats near the front that I want and seats in the back by the restroom that are less desirable. But my heart is to select the seat assigned to me by the Lord. Someone on this flight needs Jesus, and my heart is to sit next to them. Someone on this flight is my guest of honor.
Suddenly, I feel drawn to a particular location.
As an ambassador for Christ, you can watch a movie, read a book, or look for the one when you travel on a flight. On a trip to Nashville, I sat next to an atheist, and he shared his views on the Church and God’s existence. He was confident and very loud. I could feel my face turning red as people around us leaned in to listen to our conversation.
When you find yourself in a moment like this, you have the option of engaging in a debate. A stranger punches, and you counterpunch. It’s probably my lack of skill as a debater, but I have rarely found that helpful. It works for me to change the subject and ask Jesus to show me their heart. I ask about their work, then about their family, and then about their hopes and dreams.
Ask questions, listen, and pray.
On this flight, my guest of honor began to lower his voice and then opened up about a spiritual leader who had abused a family member. There was finally an opportunity to share the hope of Jesus and even the plan of salvation. My new friend listened intently, but as the flight landed, he was not interested in a relationship with Christ.
Can I encourage you not to put your hope in what you can see in these moments? No matter the response, God’s Word never returns void. As Lee Strobel once observed, “You will never regret being courageous for Christ.”
As I stood up to retrieve my bag from the overhead compartment, a man behind me asked if he could have a word.
“My wife is dying, and I am flying home to spend my last days with her. Thank you. I needed to hear that.” This man didn’t need to hear an argument in the midst of such pain. He didn’t need my debate skills or pride. What he needed was gentle good news.
On a flight from London to Minneapolis, the middle-aged man next to me was agitated. Then he started making trips to the restroom every ten or fifteen minutes. I noticed beads of sweat on Mike’s face and asked if he was okay. Mike explained, “When I fly, I get panic attacks.” Over the next several hours, we talked about his life in Europe and the overwhelming pressure he faced as an engineer. He shared his desire to someday be married. I walked Mike through the Salvation Poem, and as we began our descent, I prayed a blessing over Mike.
A few days later, Mike emailed from Europe and shared that he was still thinking about our conversation and had begun to listen to PraiseLive on his computer. Mike would tell me when he was listening, and I dedicated songs and verses to him. I led our listening family in praying over his life. As Mike turned to Jesus, he turned away from depression and suicidal thoughts.
When you step onto an airplane looking for the one, it changes how you see the people around you. You can’t wait to help an older woman with her bag or help to cheer up the children who are crying across the aisle. Looking for the one changes how you ask, “Are you okay?” People sense the mercy and compassion of Jesus.
On a flight from Minneapolis to London, we gathered at the gate for the boarding process. As the first-class passengers began to move forward, a woman cried out, “I’ve lost my passport.” She was frantic. As several people gathered around, she explained that she had placed her passport on her tray while eating lunch. She pointed to a large garbage can that was overflowing. “My passport is in that garbage can.”
I’ve worked my share of dirty jobs. At a Bible camp, I cleaned restrooms for two summers. At Bethel University, I scraped and rinsed thousands of cafeteria trays. Of course, none of that compared to growing up on a dairy farm with 52 cows. As Dad used to say, “No manure, no milk.”
There was no time to find a pair of gloves or call for help, so I found an empty garbage can just around the corner. I took a deep breath and began moving items from the full can to the empty can. By this time, a crowd has gathered to watch the festivities. When I lifted out something extra juicy, they oohed and aahed. When I found her tray with the leftover salad, they saw her excitement turn to disappointment. Finally, the entire garbage can was empty. No passport.
Now the boarding area was nearly empty, and as she was fighting back the tears, I asked if we could take a moment to pray.
Some of the most powerful prayers in the Bible are only a few words. Deep theological prayers like, “Lord, save us!” (Matthew 8:25) Or one of my mom’s favorite prayers, “Lord, have mercy…” (Psalm 41:10).
This prayer was only a few words: “Jesus, help us find the passport.”
I can’t explain it, but during that brief prayer, Jesus showed me where her passport was. It’s like when you know blue is your favorite color or you are supposed to call a friend and check in on them. We know because Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice” (John 10:27).
I gently told the woman, “Your passport is in your purse.”
She blurted out, “That’s impossible! It was on my tray, and I checked my purse. I’ve checked every pocket in this purse.”
As the flight crew stared at us, I heard myself say, “You need to check again because your passport is in your purse.”
As she began to empty her purse, I saw her eyes drawn to a small zippered compartment. She unzipped it, reached inside, and pulled out her passport! There was no time to celebrate or wash my hands, so we hurried down the ramp to get on the plane.
Several people recognized her when she walked into the plane and they began to cheer. Then something extraordinary happened. As she walked down the aisle, she waved her passport above her head and announced over and over, “We prayed! We prayed!”
Sometimes I close my eyes and try to imagine what God is doing in a moment like that. A passport is lost because someone has given up on prayer or walked away from their faith. Or someone who thinks Christians are judgmental or distant is watching the garbage can.
Then I think of the woman who lost her passport. One moment she is frantic and has no hope.
Now she lifts off for London, knowing Jesus is real.
Stories of Seeing the Lost, Lonely, and Broken Through the Eyes of Jesus
“I would love to share my faith, but I don’t know what to say. My attempts feel awkward and forced. Sometimes, I push people away. I would never admit this, but I’ve started to avoid conversations about Jesus.”
Looking For The One is short stories about people experiencing Jesus in grocery stores, hospitals, and dugouts. Each story models walking with Jesus as He finds the lost through you.
As you witness the power of the gospel in your everyday life, you discover that the first life to be changed is yours.
Because as you look for the one, you become like the One.You become more like Jesus.
