"My favorite thing to do is ask my airplane buddy a question.
'Tell me about God, as you understand Him.'
Then, I listen to them talk and hear their perspective.
I have learned so much about others by doing this,
not to mention, it has increased my desire to share my faith more."
After hearing this I told myself I was gonna always talk to my airplane buddy. What's a little different is, I don't force the conversation to go into spiritual things. I really like being led by the Holy Spirit in all things, including my discussions. I think it's important to know what you believe and why you believe it. It's also extremely important to be able to discuss it with others. I combined these principles to my plans with my airplane buddies. If the conversation went spiritual, I would follow their lead. If I was asked a question, I would answer it honestly. I allowed the conversation to be driven in direction and in length by the airplane buddy. Memorial Day weekend in 2014 while en route from Dallas Love Field Airport to Kansas City, I sat by my ultimate airplane buddy.
Earlier that day, I had prayed for my airplane buddy. I specifically wanted to sit with someone who was friendly, which would be evident in the smile they would give me when we made eye contact. Well, here I was 2/3 of the way down the aisle and everyone seemed to completely avoid eye contact--even when I would try to force it. One guy was so determined to resist eye contact, he finally covered his eyes with his hands. I get it man, I get it. I finally made eye contact with a gal who not only smiled at me, but her whole face lit up and she said, "Hi!" I had to sit by this girl!
Sitting next to Becky** was amazing. She led the conversation not only onto spiritual things, but to a depth most people wouldn't go on their first encounter. We shared our testimonies with one another and we also shared where we were in our life stages. Becky is my age and single. She was on her way to see her family one last time before she became a full-time overseas missionary. I was so excited to hear her story that I immediately volunteered to be a prayer partner for her. I still am and it's been such a blessing! Right before we got off the airplane, we prayed for each other and thanked God for bringing us together. It was a day I will never forget as long as I live.
A few months later, Becky sent me her first email newsletter about her trip. It was so exciting to hear her story and be able to pray for her. I love being able to cover her in prayer and follow her journey with God. As I read her newsletter, I noticed the name of the ministry who sent her out at the bottom of the email. I recalled some specifics about what she said and became intrigued. I followed some links from her email and this started me on a path towards a clearer picture of what God had in mind for my life.
** Becky is a substitute name for the real person I met. The reason for this she is serving in an area with some potential risks if her motives were known. Additionally, I do not want my blog to risk her safety. God knows who she is! **
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