“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”
Colossians 4:5-6
Over and over again, I’ve seen how God can make ordinary moments turn into a single moment that really matters in someone’s life. This story is another one of those testimonies of how God led and blessed in a powerful way.
It had been another long flight back across the ocean headed home. The hours ticked by slowly for me in my cramped row of seats.
“God,” I repeatedly prayed, “Who on this plane do You want me to encourage or pray with?”
Over the course of the flight, He had shown me many people who were hungry to know the Lord. God had even arranged divine appointments with flight attendants who had been so kind and helpful. I remember going to the back of the plane and telling them how much I appreciated their work and what a difference their service was making in my long flight. God used that conversation to open the way for me to pray with a couple of those flight attendants. I gave them one of my books. A little bit later, one of those same flight attendants came to my seat and asked, “We have more of our colleagues who want to know if they can have a book too. Could they have a book?” I was delighted.
I went back again to the area where the flight attendants all worked and asked them to gather as many flight attendants as they could for a brief moment. I gave them my books, signed them, and then asked them if I could have a prayer of blessing for them. They all agreed! It was wonderful to have a prayer meeting on the long flight.
This kind of adventure happened again and again on that flight. As I waited in line for the restroom, God would also repeatedly arrange for me to meet people hungry for more of Him. I was in awe of His perfect timing.
Finally, the plane started its descent. I went back to my seat as I heard the message over the loudspeaker, “We need all passengers to please take their seats. We are beginning our final descent into our destination.”
“God,” I prayed again, “You are impressing me to ask You one more time, ‘Is there one more person that You want me to pray with on this flight?’”
Just as I prayed that prayer, one of the young, male flight attendants, walked past my row of seats. He had not been particularly friendly during the whole flight, although he was doing his job in a very professional and efficient way. He seemed to have a lot on his mind.
“Go tell that young man how much I love him and ask him if you can pray with him,” God instructed me.
“But God,” I argued, “the message has already come over the loudspeaker that we are making our final descent, and we are to stay in our seats.”
Just as I was having that conversation with God, another message came over the loudspeaker, “Please make sure all your seat belts are buckled. We will soon be landing.”
Stronger the Holy Spirit spoke again, “Don, go and pray with that young man now.”
Again, I argued. “But God,” I said, “Everybody is already in their seats on this whole huge flight. We are going down.”
Now I noticed that this young flight attendant had gone to the front of the plane and pulled the curtain around his workstation. It was obvious that he did not want to be disturbed. He was taking the final few minutes to put everything in order. I shared these observations with God. God was not impressed with my logic.
“Don, go immediately!” He told me one last time.
Knowing that I was about to make a spectacle of myself, I got up, and I started walking down the long aisle to where this flight attendant was busy doing his final work. People were looking at me. Some of them were motioning for me to go back and sit down. It was embarrassing, and that’s why I had been avoiding going in the first place.
Finally, I got up to where the curtain was drawn, and pulled it aside. The young flight attendant looked up at me with surprise. “Sir, you should be sitting down,” he told me.
“Just one more thing,” I said, but he interrupted me firmly, “It’s time to sit down!”
I took a deep breath, gathered my courage, and looked him in the face as I declared, “I just want to tell you that God loves you very, very much. And I’m impressed by God to ask you, may I pray with you?”
The man’s face went white, and he stepped back. He was in shock.
“Oh my! This is amazing!” he told me. “I was just telling God, ‘God, if there is a God, if You’re really there, would You please do something—do something to show me that You care about me, something to show me that You’re really there?’”
He continued, “I’ve been so discouraged with God, and I’ve given up that He even cares, that He even exists. I’m not happy with my life and where I’m going. And just moments ago, I was pleading with God, ‘If You’re there, show me something. Show me something that lets me know You see me, and that You hear my cry.’ And just now you came in to tell me that God loves me. You came in and said, ‘May I pray for you?’” He paused as he fought to keep his emotions in control.
“Yes, you may pray for me!” he told me.
And so, I prayed. I really prayed. The young man had tears in his eyes when I finished. “God really did hear me,” he whispered in amazement. “Now, you really do need to go back to your seat,” he said with a smile.
Call to Action
I walked back to my seat, past rows of people staring at me, some with puzzled expressions, some with solid disapproval. But what they all thought about me did not matter anymore. I sat down and put my seat belt back on. A few moments later, the plane landed. I closed my eyes and grinned, “God, thank You. You are the God of every moment. Every moment matters!”
All scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
