After plans of going to Vegas kept falling through, I whimsically chose to do the trip on my own. I've traveled alone many times, but I've always had friends or family at my destination. This is the first time that I took a vacation by myself.
With plenty of things to do in Vegas, I started to concern myself with the actual travel. The hours preceding my flight were filled with nerves and anticipation. I started to wonder if my social isolation would drive me to the brink of insanity or cause me to learn more about myself than I cared to know. I then asked God to use me as a minister for his will. It's fun to initiate conversation with a total stranger - knowing you'll probably never see them again. However, I wanted to see if I could have a quality conversation about my favorite topic - God. What if I was the closest thing to God that anyone I met would ever know? Scary, I know... :) Wouldn't it be nice to share some of my experiences in hopes that it would inspire someone to long for a closer relationship with Him?!
My first flight from Austin to Denver was rather uneventful. I sat next to an elderly couple that seemed not only uninterested in talking to me, but a little uneasy by my presence. A message to said generation: Not all young people are drugged-up, sex-crazed, disrespectful hooligans.
My connecting flight that day was a different experience. I was seated, awaiting take-off. A young woman sat next to me and asked me how long the flight was. I answered and then asked a series of generic questions - just to feel her out. I noticed that she had a ring on her finger and asked how long she had been engaged/married. This is when the conversation took-off. She met her husband on the praise and worship team of her church. We shared our experiences with our faith and talked about our churches. It was a wonderful conversation. She then asked why I was going to Vegas. I told her my situation, my previous concerns and the belief that God wanted me to go for a reason. She then told me, "You're doing the right thing. Good for you." Our plane landed and we walked to claim our bags. After we said our good-byes, I realized that she was a minister to me on that flight. She reassured me, gave me hope (the story of her marriage was awesome), lifted me up and helped me understand that God was talking to me. What a great single-serving friend!
My time in Vegas was wonderful (as always). I got to see and do things that I haven't had a chance to do before. My return flight was fast-approaching and I started for the airport.
Check-in was a disaster. I found myself asking, once again, why I agreed to fly Continental. My tickets somehow "dropped out" of the system. I can't win the lottery, but I can sure be "randomly" selected for Security Screening at any airport. The only thing lacking was a body-cavity search...
Once again, my first flight was rather uneventful. I sat next to an elderly couple with some apparent health issues. They didn't really seem to be in the mood for conversation - just sleep. I arrived in Houston for my connecting flight.
My flight was delayed. Why did I fly Continental again? However, I tried to approach the question with more maturity. Why was my flight delayed? It was not an inconvenience, it was for a reason. I just had this feeling. God was setting this whole thing up so that I would encounter something or someone at just the right time. I even told this to a friend over the phone as I waited. We made a joke that I would meet someone interesting and it would only be for the 30 minutes it would take to fly home.
I finally boarded and I took my seat. The seat next to me remained empty. Boarding was complete, but the cabin doors were still open. God then told me that the seat next to me would be filled and to do his will. Seconds later, a young woman in a flight-attendant's uniform took the seat next to me. She looked exhausted. She let out a sigh and rested her eyes. I turned my reading light off in hopes that it would make her more comfortable. A few seconds later, she stirred and I asked if she was headed home. She stated that she was and that due to my delayed flight, she was able to go home earlier than she anticipated. Bingo! - the reason. She immediately sprang up in her seat and started talking to me. She was suddenly all-smiles. She asked me advice on what to buy her brother for his birthday and asked about my trip. I told her that God told me to take this trip and mentioned my desire to do his will. She then told me about her experience with God (raised Presbyterian, like myself) and how she was striving and praying for a closer relationship with him. She also mentioned the last message she heard about church and its ministers. She then made the allusion that I was being a minister to her! Wow! Did I succeed? Someone who gets it! I asked her name and introduced myself (after talking for about 30 minutes). I took out my prayer list and added her name to it. She asked what I was doing. I told her that I would help her pray for her relationship with Christ. As we landed and got off the plane, we walked towards the baggage claim. She was on her way home and I needed to get my bag. I extended my hand to say my good-bye and that it was a pleasure to meet her. She dropped everything and wrapped her arms around me. I hadn't had a hug in a while. I noticed at that point that being a minister of God allows you to make ministers of other people. I'll always remember my single-serving friends...
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