To the man at the airport

It had been a long day. I mean a really, really long day. I had left early for the airport because I wanted to get something from the duty free shops and still have time to sample the food in the airport lounge before boarding the plane. My keenness, however, had seemingly backfired as my flight was delayed by over an hour. My iPad battery was running low and as I searched for my charger, I realised I couldn’t find my other mobile phone. I frantically threw everything out of my bag on to the floor in my usual manner but it wasn’t there; its battery was gone as well and so ringing it would be of no use.
I called my sister.
‘Is my phone on the floor in your living room?’ I asked.
She sounded uninterested. She had heard the same story of my frantically looking for something that was right under my nose too many times. I secretly wanted the phone to actually be missing this time just to prove her wrong… and then again, I guess I didn’t want it to be missing because that would be too much hassle.
After I had got almost every airport official looking for my phone and sending radio messages across the terminal as well as having my hand luggage and hand bag rescanned (just in case), I suddenly felt like a fraud and told them all it was okay. It didn’t matter. Truth was, somehow it was going to emerge somewhere just as it always did.
Tired and happy to be heading home we boarded the plane finally. It took another hour before we set off. I plugged my ear phones in and began to watch a film. I was getting to the end of it when I realised we had been in the air for 40 minutes longer than was expected.
The pilot said we couldn’t land because it was snowing, he mentioned he was going to take us to some ‘out- of- the- way’ city and then we would be sorted out in the morning! I decided to pray. I just said God do something! And suddenly the pilot decided he was going to turn around and take us back to where we set off from. I let out a sigh and a ‘thank you Lord’. In everything God works for our good.
We got off the plane just after midnight after spending 3 hours flying around in circles, we picked up our luggage and began to walk towards the counter to get our hotel vouchers. One young man came up to me and tried to start a conversation. He asked me a question but I was less than interested. I had one million things on my mind and had no time for pleasantries, I must have mumbled something and stared at him blankly. He asked me whether I knew the way to where we had to go and I blurted out I would find it somehow- forgetting he may have been asking for himself.
He walked off and I started feeling bad. I realised I had let the stress affect the way I treated him and that was not right. I mean after all, apart from a missing phone we were both going through the same experience.
I started thinking about how it is so easy to let adverse circumstances or happenings cause us to become irritated with the people around us. Sometimes we may behave odd or react in ways we may later regret. Sometimes there may be misplaced anger. Whatever the trouble may be it should not be taken out on those around us. Innocent people are not supposed to suffer because we are grumpy! We should not make something that has nothing to do with them become their fault.
As Christians we need to trust that God has our backs.

Hebrews 13 vs 2 (KJV) says
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8 vs 28 KJV).

If we remember this, then we will first and fore most refuse to be anxious. Many times irritability stems from anxiety, disappointment and wariness. We must put these emotions in check.
And so to the man at the airport I say this, ‘I’m sorry for making it your fault when it wasn’t!’
God is faithful. All things worked out well for me the next day. God answered prayers and I got back home safely and to work in good enough time.

As I unpacked my suitcase later that night my phone fell out of my make-up bag…….

Be Encouraged!

Sisbee. xxx