A modest attempt at practicing what I preach

I actually started writing this on the flight home, as we prepare to land in Amsterdam. It was a good trip and I'm so glad I followed my heart and took a couple of weeks with my family and friends in SC. On Sunday I had the opportunity to preach at the church where I was confirmed. There were a few people who remembered me, but even the ones who didn't were incredibly gracious in their response to my message.

It was never my intention to address the political climate surrounding the presidential primary the day before, but several people expressed gratitude for a message that challenged the current "all or nothing" agenda that seems to be so popular these days. (I had originally included a whole "bridges versus walls" section but rethought that pretty quickly... thinking Pope vs Trump.)

Instead, I shared the experience of a clergy friend inviting a man to join her at her table in a crowded Panera. And I asked people to consider welcoming a stranger on the off chance of making a new friend.

Little did I know that I would have that same opportunity as soon as I boarded my second flight of the day. When I arrived on board, i found myself face to face with a small, elderly woman who spoke absolutely no English.

This left me expecting a quiet flight, but it's amazing how much you can communicate without words. From helping her with the seat belt to figuring out how to work the entertainment system, we managed to share a few precious moments.

It did not take long to figure out that she was Russian (newspaper clue), but she confirmed that by pointing to several places on the map... Flying to Amsterdam, then Moscow, then on to Siberia.... and I thought my trip was long!

We found the game center and she showed me how to do sudoku - I'm terrible - and I eventually figured out there were a bunch of movies that were dubbed in Russian (she picked Lincoln - bold choice). I shared yummy cheese straws, she shared dark chocolate covered almonds, we laughed over spilling Asian Chicken entrees on our amble bosoms, and slept side by side as comfortably as you can in coach.

As we prepared to deplane, she reached over and squeezed my hand with a big smile. Like my friend Monica, I made a new friend, but this time using only smiles, hand gestures and pointing.

When the plans in our minds don't match our expectations, it's easy to get annoyed or feel disappointed. All I had to do was think of how I would want someone to treat me if I was in her shoes and the rest came easy.

All of this counterbalances the annoyance I felt toward the guy behind me who kept pushing on my seat all night and my eye roll at the herd of high school students that held up my line at passport control... apparently I'm a work in progress.

Now where is the cappuccino?

Peace, Deb

(c) Deb Luther Teagan 2016