Paul: People often ask me how they can pray for me. I always need wisdom and feel like lack it most of the time, so that's always near the top of the list. Safety for the family as I travel also ranks pretty high, but when it comes to opportunities to bless other people, I always get folk to pray for whoever is sitting in seat 7b on flight CO26/27 to and from Birmingham when I'm making my usual trip to the US.I always (to a point that borders on obsession) sit in seat 7a (good legroom, window, quick exit), so whoever is in 7b will be stuck with me for at least 7 hours, so i always pray I'll have an opportunity to bless them in some way as we travel together. I thought I'd tell you about the 7b-ers on my flights last week.
On my way out, I was sat next to Derek, who writes course materials for university distance learning. I really wish I'd listened more closely when he told me his subject as my lack of attention (and knowledge of high-tech / engineering type things) meant I was lost in the conversation for the next hour. I don't think Derek noticed. We moved from talking about his work to mine and (inevitably) onto faith. Derek was a very cynical atheist. I never cease to be surprised that conversations like this start off in the scientific realm, but often the cynicism and emotion come from the more relational issues about "christians" they have met. It was no Damascus road experience (blinding flashes are rarely welcomed at 37,000 feet, I suppose) but by the time we landed in Newark, Derek had changed just a little. Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 5 always ring loud in my head during conversations like this. If we are ambassadors in the "ministry of reconciliation" that we've been called to, then our words, actions and interactions have the power to either bring a person closer or further away to that reconciliation. Please pray for Derek, that he bumps into more people that will take him further on his journey of reconciliation.
On my way home, Maria was sitting in 7b. When I told her who I worked for, she said "oh, I've supported them before". That was a first. As we got talking I found out that she went to church but wasn't "one of those born again Christians". However, her nephew was and had been involved with our organisation at a US university and had gone on a project to Russia with us a couple of years ago and Marie had sponsored him. I asked her what the difference was between her and her nephew's faith. She explained it was all a matter of priority. I think she had it pretty spot-on. We chatted quite a bit about priorities and what was important in life: relationships rather than things, home rather than work and little of the eternal rather than the temporary. She concluded her nephews priorities might be worth another look at.
