Riding back to Portland from Camp Yamhill on Monday (where Faith Quest takes place) I had the sense that I needed to stay one more day to be with my parents, sister and brother-in-law. I knew I would have to pay a change fee and whatever else to make it happened. I was tired from the weekend, the good kind of tired, and wanted to go home. I was worried about my seat on the plane which I had fortunately changed at the last minute from a middle seat to an aisle in the rear of the plane. So I dismissed the thought of staying.
I arrived at the terminal, breezed through security and asked about getting my seat changed to an emergency exit row or at least closer to the front. I was not checking any luggage so my plan was to get off the plane quickly, catch the shuttle to my metal chariot and drive home from Sacramento.
All the seats were filled. I went and stood by the window and watched the hustle and bustle of a major airport. A few minutes later the ticket agent approached me and said that a person of considerable age (my term not hers) had checked in and was assigned the emergency exit row. She asked if she could switch our seats. Why of course. Please, I will do my part.
Half an hour later, as I’m relishing my new seat with loads of leg room the ticket agent makes this announcement. "We have oversold the flight and need someone with flexible travel plans to give up their seat in exchange for a free round trip ticket anywhere Alaska Airlines flies." The moment she made that announcement I knew she was talking to me. But still, I sat there. Four other people hopped up and rushed over to the counter engaged in a brief conversation and walked away without giving up their seats. No one else moved. I watched the ticket agent as she scanned the room without saying a word.
It was a Jonah moment. I knew I was being called to stay. Far better to stay behind than to have a turbulent flight — have the passengers discover that I was responsible and be tossed from the plane! I went up to the ticket counter and in two minutes the deal was done.
My decision to stay was confirmed in the conversations I was able to have with my family members.
Even though it looks like it the moral of the story is not "see if you resist the urging of the Holy Spirit it won’t cost you a ticket change fee, in fact you will get a sweet offer to convince you to listen to the Spirit."
I would have stayed without the incentive of a free ticket. Sure, it is a nice bonus. Had they just waived the change fee and any possible fare increase I would have stayed. It is what God needed me to do.
