Our Trip Home

We were leaving the safe haven of our dear friends’ home in Northern Scotland for our long trip home to the US.  We had a short flight to London and then the next day 11 flight hours home.  Before we left their home for the airport our host slipped Husband a 5 pound note.  Just in case we need something our last night in the UK before our final flight home, he said.  We’d already exchanged our traveling currency for US currency and sent it home ahead of us.  For some reason, his wife, our hardworking hostess, also gave me some coins which I added to my bulging backpack pocket.  Just small kindnesses.  But how important they turned out to be!
We arrived at the large London Gatwick Airport without a clue where we might find the airport shuttle bus to our nearby hotel. We asked various people and got rather vague answers.  Following our best guess, we eventually ended up at the shuttle bus stop.  Unbeknownst to us the bus wasn’t a courtesy shuttle sent from the hotel as we had assumed from the hotel website.  Oh, no, not at all.  It was a rather spendy pay-or-don’t-go bus – a big shock when we boarded.  Husband pulled out the bill that had been given to him, but it wasn’t enough for both of us to ride the bus.  I remembered the coins and dug around my backpack pocket.  Exactly enough to finish paying for our fare.  I could feel God smiling.  And my heart said thank you to him and to our hosts.  

“Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.”  Galatians 6:10

Then there was the sweet young lady tasked with the nasty job of corralling disembarking plane passengers through customs in Seattle.  So many international planes had deposited their passengers at the same time that the large customs room was overflowing into a long line in the hall.  There were what appeared to be a thousand people waiting to pass customs.  (335 passengers in our plane X 3 or more planes).  We had been warned by Husband’s brother that wait times could exceed 11 hours!  (So grateful he gave us this info ahead of time.)  So I had done some online research and found a phone app that promised to expedite our passage thru customs.  As we approached our first port of entry in the US, I had filled out the app with high hopes.  But when I tried to activate it in the airport, it declined me.  Seeing the sweet young lady in charge, Husband nudged me toward her.  “Ask her to help,” he said.  I explained to her that I had this app and had filled it out, but it didn’t complete.  She looked at my phone and kindly helped me fix the problem, and in less than a minute had us on our way past the waiting thousand people and directly to the exit where we waited a few minutes for final clearance and then the sweet feeling of freedom.  Given the pressure of the situation, that young airport employee could have brushed us off or been grouchy, but instead, she patiently and gently got us on our way.

“Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you’— when you already have it with you.”  Proverbs 3:28

Following this deliverance, we proceeded to our last airline check-in.  What would we do for four hours before our connecting flight?  Would the airline grant us an earlier flight?  While waiting in line, we noticed one airline check-in clerk was friendly and kind to those ahead of us in line, especially an elderly man in a wheelchair.  We hoped we would get her and not the stern clerk next to her.  When our turn came, with relief we advanced to her desk and asked for the favor of changing our flight.  She smiled and examined our reservation.  (Of course, it was a super saver class.)  She explained that that economy kind of ticket wasn’t eligible for changes. Then she whispered,  “I’m not supposed to do this, but let’s see if there are two seats on the next flight.”  In a few minutes, we were on our way with two tickets for the next flight loading in 45 minutes. The generous clerk could have stuck to protocol and told us no way.  But she had compassion on two tired travelers and went above and beyond. 

“And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”  Matthew 10:45

Amazing what a generous gesture can do.  Yes, these were small things, but they were very important to us.  We may consider what we do for others unremarkable and small, yet we have no idea what need a small kindness might meet.  It may be as small as a friendly smile to a harried mother of small children that cheers her on a hard day.  It may be going out of your way to welcome someone new to your group.  It may be making a hot drink for a family member on a cold day.  Small things aren’t unimportant things.  Small acts of compassion and generosity display God’s mercy in the details of our lives.

“And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard time!”  Ruth 4:12

“…blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.”  Proverbs 14:21