Last Friday I flew to Cali.
First, I took an Uber to the Atlanta airport. Met “L”, a ~60ish year old Sikh from India. He told me, what I’ve heard too many times to count….that all religions are basically the same. There are many roads to God…just like there are many ways to get to the Atlanta airport.
I said “Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life and no one goes to the Father but through Him. Either Jesus was a liar, crazy or He was telling the truth.”
(Thank you C.S.)
“L” told me he had been to church because there was once a man he worked with that “no one talked bad about, not even behind his back.” So L asked the man about that and the Christian attributed it to Jesus. L said that the Christian invited him to church and L said that he wanted to go where this guy was going! That showed a lot of the honor/shame culture L comes from in how important reputation is. But either way, it made him want to follow this Christian where he was going!
I told L about getting the Bible on his phone with a free Bible app. He seemed interested in that. Please pray his eyes will be opened. God is obviously knocking on his heart, because he told me how another rider had shared with him about how Jesus changed her life after being suicidal.
While we were boarding, I sat next to a 22 year old American agnostic “J” who is in the military and probs gonna be deployed in the middle east. I shared my testimony and Jesus with him.
He said he used to be Christian but now just believes in a higher power. As we are talking, a guy comes and sits in the middle seat between us and has a tat that says “Neva Alone.” I ask about it and say my favorite name of God is Emmanuel and love that we are never alone. He said it was his clothing company and just thought we are never alone. It had no more depth than that…not about God…just that we are never alone.
I told J about my time in the Middle East and how Muslims have dreams of Jesus. That I will challenge them to ask God what the truth is and He will give them a dream. He said something like “Maybe God will give me a dream.” I replied “Or have someone sit next to you on an airplane to share with you” with a grin under my mask.
Then from the airport, I took a Lyft. This driver, “S” was a Korean American, in his 40s most likely, who said he was a believer as I tried to share with him.
I can tell when someone says they are a believer and when they are actually a believer. It’s like when a clear container has milk in it and labeled “Orange Juice.” You just know immediately. He was a remarkable man though whose wife left him leaving him to raise his kids. His ex-wife said she wanted a new life and bounced.
I asked him something like “What do you outside of working?” He said “Raising my kids.” We kept talking and later I asked “What do you like to do for fun?” He said “I already told you, spending time with my kids. I love to go home and sit with my daughter who just talks and talks and talks. I love when she tells me about her day.”
It’s those moments when God shows you His Father’s heart. I thought of each morning when I sit with Jesus and He loves to hear me talk with Him. Sharing everything.
On my way back from Cali, yesterday, I had some amazing encounters too.
My first flight, I sat next to “L”, a 21 year old professional Racer. He told me he was raised Catholic and still believes in a higher power but has his questions. He showed me his pictures, some videos and his helmet. I shared Jesus with him and my story.
L wasn’t sure about the whole creation account which he attributed to really being analytical and liking the study of science. (At one point he was telling me about a quantum theory and ya gurl was just trying to understand a fraction of what he was saying.) I told him how I believed by faith and how we are all wired differently. That I never questioned it but because I evangelize, people ask me questions that I never had myself.
I said the resurrection is a proven historical fact. He concurred. So I used that to build leverage for the historical creation account too. I said if Jesus was true, then what He said was true. Jesus quoted the old testament giving it validity. He also said He was in the world before it began, with God. (Col 1:15-18, John 1:1-3)
I got his instagram name for when I get back on social media in a few weeks. I googled him this morning and yep, he’s a pro Racer. Isn’t it amazing who Jesus puts next to us? The nations, the agnostics, the mislabeled Christians, the seekers…
My next flight, I sat next to 20 year old “H” who just got back from visiting her boyfriend who is in the military. This trip was her first time flying. She said she was a believer and prayed all the time. She told me of her heart defect. She lost her airpod on the flight and we prayed she’d find it. I helped her look for it too as did the surrounding seatmates.
At the end of the flight, we talked more. She told me her boyfriend is starting to go to church. They’ve been together since she was 16 and though he doesn’t talk about his newfound faith much with her, she hopes when he returns they can follow God together. I asked her if I could pray for her for healing for her heart condition. She said yes and we prayed.
After we finished praying, the girl on the window seat said “Oh that was so nice!” I said “Are you a believer too?” She said “Oh no….I’m spiritual…I just thought what you did was nice.” She was moving from Chicago to Georgia like officially moving and you could see the twinkle in her eyes of a new adventure. I’m glad we could show her some Christian hospitality….not southern but Jesus hospitality.
The people sitting behind us said they found the airpod that it just “fell” at the end of the flight. I’m like “Ok Jesus, I see you!” PSA: When flying, be extra careful with your airpods. I’m not sure why, if it’s the pressure on the plane or just the nature of the pods but they are poppin’ out:) On my way to Cali, the guy in front of me also lost his airpod. And he never found it.
I noticed the woman on my right (across the aisle) reading a Priscila Shirer book and got to engage in convo with her too.
Then my Uber ride home, I rode with 69 year old “E” who said he was a Christian. Whenever I asked about his faith, it’s like he steered as clear away from that topic as possible. Which baffles me because if you are a believer you give YOUR life to Christ so that means Christ is your life. If He truly is your life, your very being will exude Him. The overflow will be obvious.
He reminded me of my Lyft driver “S”. Not only with that, but also was a father, whose ex-wife left leaving him to raise his kids. Weird similarities in their stories. But mad props to being fathers who don’t leave!
And this was just two days of travel. Isn’t it incredible what Jesus can do when you are going? And I haven’t even begun to tell of what He did while I was in Cali !!!!
Life is abundant with Jesus. He is with us and we are neva alone.
The Father who never leaves and takes care of His kids.
