On
The Way
"One day Peter and John were going up
to the temple...". Acts 3:1.
This verse jumped out at me as I sat in the airport in
Baltimore two days ago, waiting to catch my connecting flight to St. Louis. I
was on my way to start this prison ministry trip. I was headed somewhere
important, with important things to do with God. Sitting at the airport, going
through the lists in my head, I noticed a couple I
noticed a couple who "just happened" to
sit next to me. I would guess maybe ten years older than me, I saw them and
went back to my mental checklist. After a few minutes I "just happened"
to look up again to see the man sitting with his head down, wiping his brow,
and laboring a bit in his breathing. His wife was turned toward him, with her
back to me. I stopped my checklist and breathed that great ancient prayer of
old: Jesus, help. who "just happened" to sit next to
me. I would guess maybe ten tears older than me, I saw them and went back to my
mental checklist. After a few minutes I "just happened" to look up
again to see the man sitting with his head down, wiping his brow, and laboring
a bit in his breathing. His wife was turned toward him, with her back to me. I
stopped my checklist and breathed that great ancient prayer of old: Jesus,
help.
Gently,
I tapped the woman who turned to face me. When I asked if everything was okay,
she said no-her husband wasn't feeling well. She had talked to an agent but no
one had come over to assist. They were on their way to St. Louis to see their
daughter. Her husband had a history of heart attacks. When I offered to go speak to the agent, the
woman looked relieved. So I went and got the agent's attention to ask if she
could get someone to assist the couple, as the man might be having a heart
attack. The agent went right over to him and that was followed by a series of
officers and medical personnel who came to question the man.
Meanwhile,
our flight was ready to board. I took my place in line, thinking I had done my
part. After all, I was on my way to this big ministry trip. Then I saw officers
standing near the man, who was now in a wheelchair and an agent sitting next to
his wife. It dawned on me that maybe they did not live in Baltimore and so
didn't have family around to call. I would love to say it was easy for me to
choose to go right over to the couple and find out if they lived in the area,
but I didn't. Instead, I was having it out with God. It all came down to one
question-was I willing to be interrupted, inconvenienced, and available to this
couple, even though there were more than 60 women ready for me to show up the
following day? And so I walked over and asked. No, they were not from the area.
The medical people were checking the man to determine if he could fly. I
offered to stay with them if he could not get on the plane.
The
agent advised I board the flight and took my name in case they needed to page
me. I got on the flight. The couple did not. I wondered what that was all about
and sat quietly praying for the man whose eyes said thank you.
Peter
and John were on their way to the temple and were interrupted. They stopped
long enough to heal the lame man at the gate called Beautiful. Maybe the Lord
wanted me to discover if I could be interrupted at least long enough to care
for someone in need.who "just happened" to sit
next to me. I would guess maybe ten tears older than me, I saw them and went
back to my mental checklist. After a few minutes I "just happened" to
look up again to see the man sitting with his head down, wiping his brow, and
laboring a bit in his breathing. His wife was turned toward him, with her back
to me. I stopped my checklist and breathed that great ancient prayer of old:
Jesus, help.
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