On a Flight from Chicago

Jeff Selph wrote a blog this week that is just irritating me - in a good/bad sort of way. It was a kick-in-the-pants sort of post where I realized that perhaps I have been waiting a little too much on God to open doors and make a way. There are some areas of my life that I do need to wait on God, but there are many others that I just need to get up and DO!

Inside of me is an evangelist just dying to get out. Not the obnoxious type, but the kind that genuinely thinks everyone should know about Jesus and that if I ask God he will point me in the right direction and make the opportunities happen. For example, several years ago I was in Chicago for a conference at Willowcreek Community Church. While at the airport waiting to return home, I really felt a desire for God to lead me to someone to sit next to that I could share the gospel with. Afterall, I could catch up with the others from church anytime and they already knew Jesus. So I prayed and as we boarded the plane, I kept praying and asking God to direct me where to sit that I might be able to share Him with someone. I was almost to the back of the plane and no audible shouts from the Holy Spirit. Finally realizing that about all that was left were my co-workers, I sat down. True evangelist at heart - my bible was out and ready. And God saw fit to use me anyway.

Not more than a few minutes into the flight, the lady beside me started a conversation and in her lap was a Hindu 'bible'. Her name was Pallavi and she was from India. She and her husband were living in Cleveland and commuting to Chicago every week for work. She had been seeking something more in her life and wanted answers, but hadn't found peace about these things yet. God opened the door wide! And in I went. My faith was fresh, alive and our testimony of God's grace and goodness and miracles was vivid and active in our lives. I could have shared 8-hours worth of flight time of testimony if God had allowed it. But seeing that He loves Pallavi as much as he loves me, he only gave us an hour together. I shared the love and miracles of God and Pallavi asked questions and shared her quest for truth with me. We landed in Cleveland, got off the plane, continued the conversation as we waited in the baggage claim area and then hugged good-bye. We exchanged email addresses and actually did the polite thing by emailing each other - once.

God has been repeatedly bringing Pallavi to the forefront of my thoughts lately. I prayed for her for a long time after we met and then I just kind of stopped. While I may have to wait on God for some of the ministry desires of my heart, I don't have to wait on him to witness to others. I emailed Pallavi right before I started this post. Who knows if she even has the same email address, but I figured it was worth a shot.

As long as I can remember I have wanted to share the love of Jesus with anyone - everyone. I have allowed life and critics and circumstances and naysayers to dampen my passion. Maybe it is time to start doing what God created me to do and to stop waiting. I pray there is a follow-up to this post concerning Pallavi. But if not, I pray there are more posts about witnessing to those that need to know Jesus.