What's Your Role?

Usually when I pray, it is followed by waiting. Waiting for answer. Sometimes waiting for days, months, even years; waiting and waiting. On a few glorious occassions, I have had the opportunity to witness prayers being answered within minutes. One such occassion occurred in the Atlanta Airport. Now, if you have ever had a connecting flight through Atlanta, you are probably aware that more times than not, things don't go as planned. In fact, I've flown into or through Atlanta at least a half a dozen times and I don't recall ever having a flight that wasn't late or canceled. Consequently, when we plan a trip I make every effort to avoid Atlanta.

Several years back, before I came fully appreciate the perils of the Atlanta Airport, Dennis, Chad and I were flying to Florida. We (I) had everything planned out perfectly. We would leave Oklahoma City early in the morning; arrive in Panama City by noon; pick up our rental car; drive to the house we were renting; and arrive before the rest of our family who was driving from Oklahoma.

It was about 1:00 in the afternoon, and we were sitting in Chili's at the Atlanta Airport (so much for the perfect plan of arriving by noon). Our flight had been cancelled and we could either fly to another location and drive an hour and a half to our final destination, or wait until 7:00 for another flight. Either way, we would arrive around the same time, so we decided to wait and accept the airline's token "free" meal. So here we were, in the middle of Chili's surrounded by endless travelers of the same fate. It was Atlanta after all.

As we looked over the menu, I noticed a young couple sitting two tables down and across the aisle from us. The young woman was visibly upset over the delay of their flight and within a few minutes she was crying. As I sat there, without anyone else knowing, I did something very strange to me - I began to pray for her. At this time in my Christian walk, praying was not something I did too well. In fact, just months earlier when Chad and I had joined the church, I announced to the minister that I would be happy to help in anyway, as long as he didn't ask me to pray. Low and behold, here I was, doing exactly what I had said I wouldn't do: praying for someone - a stranger at that. I'm not sure what came over me - perhaps it was Dennis' announcement earlier that morning, "Chad, mom's a control freak. She can't stand it that I'm holding the tickets and she's not." He was right! It was driving me crazy that I did not have the tickets in my hand. What if he lost them or laid them down? If I had them in hand then I knew things were under control. Of course, I didn't admit that to him. Instead, I told him that was not true and he could just hold onto those tickets. I was going to show him. I was NOT a control freak!

Whatever the reason, at that moment, instead of trying to control or "fix" the situation, I asked God to fix. I silently prayed, "God, please comfort her. Help her to see that a delayed flight really isn't that big of a deal. They are safe and together and that's much more important than being late."

Within minutes, it happened! God answered! He answered through the kindness of a waitress. As the young waitress approached and saw the woman's tears, she sweetly asked, "Are you okay? What can I do to help. I'm sorry it took me a while to get to you." With those kind words, the woman began to share her story. The perfect honeymoon she and her husband had planned, had turned out to be not so perfect. The hotel turned out not to be as advertised; their room wasn't ready when they arrived; it rained almost everyday; they had a wreck in the rental car and now their flight was delayed. As the woman shared the comedy of errors, she began to laugh and realize that those things weren't nearly as important as she had once thought they were. As the waitress left to get the couples drinks, the young bride sat there smiling at her husband. I was smiling too! I had just witnessed God answering my prayer. Maybe there was something to this praying thing after all.

We did finally arrive at our destination... 12 hours late; with no rental car - because they had already closed; and our family that that we were going to beat to the house, had to come rescue us, picking us up at the airport, well after midnight. But all in all, it was a great day! In the middle of the Atlanta Airport, I had witnessed God and perhaps for the first time ever, I knew He really does answer prayers.

As we hurry through the last days before Christmas, I urge you to think about what role you will play this season? Will you be the young bride, worried because your perfect plan isn't working? Perhaps you're the control freak who finally asks God to take over and fix it. Or even yet, perhaps you will get to be God's servant that offers kind words to a stranger. Whatever your role, it is my prayer that you will see God whereever you go. If he can show up in the Atlanta Airport, where things always go wrong, he can show up wherever you go this season... even at Walmart.

"I tell you to pray for all people, asking God for what they need and being
thankful to him." 1 Timothy 2:1 NCV

"I am the Lord, the God of every person on the earth. Nothing is
impossible for me." Jeremiah 32:27 NCV

My Prayer:

Father, help me remember what is important, and to learn to find joy and even laughter when my best laid plans go astray. In my heart I know that you are in control and the only things that really matter are the eternal ones. Help my mind to recognize that as well. Show me how to be a light to others, that they may also find joy in you this Christmas season. Amen.