Airport Refelctions

Sunday, July 22, 2007

So…we’re stuck in the airport. I don’t like the word stuck though – it’s pretty negative. We’re trying to be optimistic, so I’ll say….we have the wonderful opportunity to spend more time in the airport than we had expected. :] Anyway…what should we do?! What would you do if you were in the airport just waiting for your flight?

This is the stuff that people write cool Christian books about, I think. I’ve been wondering, what would Donald Miller or Brian McClaren or Shane Claiborne do if they were in the airport? lol. What I should be asking is what would Jesus do if he were here in the airport? Yeah, WWJD – as commercialized and cheeeeeezy as that is…I’m using it right now.

I don’t think Jesus would be sitting on a laptop just watching people go by, seeing who has wedding bands, who’s reading Harry Potter (14 people so far), who looks like they might be famous, who looks like they’re running late (wishing them luck as they run the same concourse that I ran yesterday). He’d probably be introducing himself to a few people, reaching out to them in their need, showing them love…yeah. So that’s what I’d really love to do. I want to introduce people to Jesus, help them somehow, show them love.

Why then, am I on my computer? Why am I not taking the many opportunities that I see? I claim to love people…but do my actions show that I love them? I claim to be deeply in love and devoted to God, but if I am, wouldn’t I be exploding to talk to people about the love of my life?

What an exciting place to be stuck…people with so many experiences that have been so many places. People with stories. People that need encouragement or people that could encourage me. I’m encountering people that I will never again come into contact with. Every person I talk to leaves some sort of impression on me. If only I’d talk to someone else…I could leave an impression. I could ask a question that makes them think deeply and consider more. [Harry Potter count – 15] I could make someone whose day isn’t going quite right smile a bit and be distracted from the present inconvenience that we call United Airlines. I could touch someone in a way that I may not even be able to anticipate or see. I could make someone’s next thirty seconds brighter or I could strike up a conversation that sends them into a journey of eternal value.

…All in the name of Jesus.

Right now, the work of the Holy Spirit is absolutely awing me. I feel so small and insignificant. And I am. But…the Holy Spirit is not! I have no idea where that person is right now. Seriously…this is overwhelming me. The truth that the Holy Spirit lives inside me and Val, and maybe her, and maybe that guy…and all people who ask. If only people knew what to ask!

So we’ve got at least three more hours to wait…maybe more. I’ve got plenty to do…this is not at all boring. It’s actually a huge blessing. One time I prayed to God about the amount of time that I wasted online and I asked him to help me and pretty immediately after that lighting struck and busted our modem. We didn’t get it fixed for a couple months, if I remember right. Lately I’ve had a lot of trouble slowing down and I’ve just been ridiculously busy…maybe this is an answer to my prayer for God to help me slow down and live less busily…maybe God’s zapping my modem again. I don’t know. :]

So hopefully in the next three hours…my convictions will lead to some action, and instead of reading the book that I brought about living authentic Christian faith, I will actually be living authentic Christian faith.

[Harry Potter count - 17]
We’ll see…