Recently while flying on an airplane I heard a frantic announcement over the PA system: “If there is a medical doctor on board this flight, please push your call button.” I saw a distinguished looking gentleman quickly rise from his seat and step into the isle. Instantly everyone on board felt a feeling in their stomach as if they had eaten a carton of spoiled yogurt.
I nervously glanced a few rows behind me to see a lady in her thirties breathing heavily through a red face. Ripples of panic and concern appeared through fellow travelers. I began hearing mutters along the lines of, “Oh man, now I’m going to arrive late.”
I must confess, that was my first thought. I’m going to arrive home late. How selfish is that? There is someone only feet away from me possibly dying, and I’m sitting here upset because inconvenience entered into my life. Selfish.
As I heard other travelers express their anger at inconvenience, I woke up from my selfish pity party and realized life is about more than me. Someone might die on this flight. Death.
My preoccupation with timeliness transformed to anger at myself and others for being selfish. It transformed into the question of what I could do to help out. Should I crowd in the isle around the person now lying on the floor? Probably not. Should I chide other passengers for their selfish comments? Not likely.
Pray. I chose to pray. At first I tried to say eloquent words to really get God’s attention in this emergency. But I just couldn’t. I was shaken up and had no idea how to pray. My prayer quickly became simply, “Jesus.” Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
In that one simple name repeated I found that my selfishness was relieved. I found that my fears were calmed. My inability to love was transformed to need. I found myself thankful. Thankful for life. Thankful for the opportunity to draw to God.
Our flight made a last minute emergency landing in Phoenix to get this woman off the plane and to medical help. Unfortunately, I don’t know what happened to her once she exited the plane. I wish I did. However, I do know that inconvenience had miraculously become opportunity.
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