14C
“Is 14C
your seat, Sir?”
In
the next millisecond, this behind-the-scenes conversation took place:
“Mac,
you worked hard to get that seat and you deserve it. You see, your god DOES take care of those who
ask for things.”
“How’s that?”
“Well,
you do pray that you sit next to an empty seat so you don’t have to be bothered
by someone next to you in these cramped airplanes, don’t you?”
“Well,
yeh, sometimes.”
“See,
your god has granted you want you wanted.
Now, that woman, who we shall just say, between us intelligent guys, is
a little off her rocker, and you sure don’t want to have someone who is
mentally unstable sitting next you, do you?”
”Well, no, not really.”
“So,
there you have it. Answer ‘Yes’.”
Now,
let me bring you back a few minutes in the waiting lounge at the
Anyway,
being in the prestigious Zone 2 for loading (whatever that means—has something
to do with being a Medallion Member), my co-worker and I were able to board
before most of the rest of the aircraft.
He had 16C, while I was two rows toward the front, in 14C. Both aisle seats. After I put my bag in the overhead, I sat
down with no one in Seats A (window) or B (middle), and then kept a watch out
to see if anyone would be sitting there.
OH-oh, a young gentlemen motioned that he had
the window seat. Well, that wasn’t
About
that time, I heard this lady crying behind me (she was in 15C). I thought that she might have hit her head
while putting her bag in the overhead compartment, but I just ignored it and
went back to reading my religious book.
(After all, if she WAS hurt, they had stewardesses who could help her.)
As
the last few folks boarded, I finally realized, thank God, that no one was
assigned the middle seat to my left.
This might be a good flight after all.
At that point, the lady was still wimpering,
but a little louder. A stewardess DID
come to her and asked her if she was okay.
At this point, I realized that the lady was probably somewhat mentally
handicapped. She told the stewardess
that she had no place to put her bag as the overhead was full, and HER middle
row (15B) had someone sitting in it, so she couldn’t place her bag under that
seat either. The poor lady just didn’t
know what to do. Still crying, but I was just simply trying to ignore her wimpering
and continued to read. THAT was when I
heard that question: “Is 14C your seat,
Sir?”
Well,
it was, so I listened to that millisecond conversation I was having inside my
head, and said. “Yes maam,
it is.” And it was no lie,
I did have the correct seat. Luckily, a
steward also came up at that time and said that there was a seat in first class
where she could sit and would have place for her bag, and have enough room
where she wouldn’t be pressured by people all around her.
At
first, I sighed a sigh of relief, and then it hit me,
hard. WHAT had I just done? I had acted just the opposite of the way the
person I was reading about would have.
Instead of saying: “Yes maam, it is.”, I knew immediately I should have said: “Yes maam, it is,
but if she needs a seat with space beside her, take mine. I will sit somewhere else.”
I
was so ashamed that I pondered my actions the rest of that flight. I had just committed a whole rash of sins,
starting with hatred toward others, not loving my neighbor, selfishness, greed,
and a list of others, ending in pride. I
had violated both of the greatest and the next greatest commandments. As Paul said, “What a wretched man I
am.” I could feel the eyes of Jesus on
me the rest of the time until I prayed to Him for forgiveness. How COULD I be so insensitive to the weak? How COULD “I”, a CHRISTIAN (yeh, right), turn a deaf ear to someone obviously in
need? I was
I
also had just passed up one of the perfect opportunities that God puts in front
of me all the time. In His test of me,
He said, “Here Mac. Here is a crying
lady and no one is helping. Here is an
opportunity for you to prove to my Son that you DO love Him, simply by offering
to give up your seat to someone obviously distressed.” Well, I failed that test---no doubt about that. I would have probably
received a 14”F” as a grade. And
14F would have been OUTSIDE that airplane as there were only 5 seats per
row.
I
just got into the hotel and will be going out to dinner with my co-workers
shortly, but I just had to write this to all my friends to let you know what
kind of a person I really am. I am so
ashamed of myself that I am now in tears.
I ask each of you to pray for me tonight before you go to bed (no matter
what day you get this email).
I
DO NOT want anyone to reply to it, telling me “Oh, you are SO spiritual for
having recognized your faults and telling us your story.” First of all, I am NOT spiritual, or I would
have done something for the poor lady.
Second of all, I do not deserve ANY praise at all…as a ‘Christian’, I
should have reacted 180 degrees differently.
So, please, don’t write….just know that I am wretched. But DO pray for me though….I need it badly.
I
am not sure how any of you would have acted in this situation. I hope and pray that it would have been
completely different. I just finished
reading a book recommended by Les Johnson, It’s Not About Me. In it, the author talks a lot about being
humble. In this situation, I should have
been humble---obviously, I didn’t practice what I had just learned. In the book I read on the rest of the flight,
Chapter 8, which I will begin reading later this evening, is in Part 2 (The Big
Stumbling Block) of the book, and is titled “Love my enemies?” (with a question mark).
The answer to that question for me is obvious—“No”---I can’t even love
my neighbor. Please help by praying.
Mac