Hi from Boston!
Trust you had a warm memory making family Christmas?!
I was blessed to be here in Boston after only one night sleeping in the Seattle airport. There were so many heart wrenching stories at the airport that my heart had tears. Like the father who was trying to get home to spend Christmas with his 3 young children (after working up North for several months), and the seniors who were sleeping sitting up and the one man whom I noticed had trouble breathing and I called for help. There was the three brides maids that were informed there was "no way there plane could take off" and they missed the wedding. And so many that had been 3 days waiting for flights!
But here is the sad story of my own personal shame. I was in a long line, trying to change a ticket, and a lady, in her late 60's butts in front of me. This long slow moving line (with only two agents serving the entire line) allowed lots of time to chat with others. The women continued to stand in front of me after the gentleman directly ahead of me told her that I was next in line. She spoke broken english and had reported to him that she
was going to see her daughter in Newfoundland. That she was from Russia. I began to study this poor women and noticed her coloring was NOT good. Then I decided the right thing to do was to let her go first,and so I did. But as I waited I noted the attendant was raising her voice and at her and informing her that "a supervisor was coming" to "step to the side"...which she did. The attendant did not proceed with the next in line (me) but waited for the supervisor too. This Russian women then came to me and pleaded with me to use my credit card to buy her an airline ticket and that she would pay me "more cash than the ticket". I paused and my heart leapt to do it, but my head said, "this could be a scam", at that moment the Supervisor arrived and upon hearing the story assured me the women could purchase a ticket with cash. And so I was served then by the other attendant. As I finished my transaction I glanced over and noticed the Russian women approaching someone else to buy her a ticket with their credit card! I quickly ducked passed her and rushed through security. Once safely at my gate I pondered this situation and felt ashamed of how I had dodged her. I spoke about this Russian lady to the traveller next to me and she too had been approached by the same women. Only she heard the women's daughter in Newfoundland was very sick! Now I felt worse, so I went to speak with the agent that would call us to board the plane. And she informed me they too knew of this women and that she had been over night in the airport and that they could not understand her and had no one who could speak Russian. I asked her to inform the airport security because there must be someone that could help this desperate women and I said "her coloring isn't good, she looks exhausted".
Within 20 min the West Jet attendant came back to inform me they had found an interpreter and sold the women a ticket to Newfoundland. And by the way she added, "you were right in noting her coloring, she has a heart condition". Sigh.
I pondered my behaviour, and asked God to forgive me, and to give me spiritual eyes. To be sensitive and remember to think about "what would Jesus do?" I arrived at the Seattle airport, where the vending machines were reported to be empty, an elderly gentleman limped past me pulling a wagon, shouting "Free soup and beverages for hungry stranded travellers", I smiled, now that is what ...Jesus would do.
-
Maralee Dawn Ministries
maraleedawn@mac.com
Toll Free 1-866-930-1333
Ph. (604) 930-1333
Visit messengerbuddies.ca to find out how you could win. Enter today.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment