Standing by for Flight 895

I type to you from 34,841 feet above the earth’s surface. I think I’m somewhere near the North Pole. Most of the time I keep myself so busy that I don’t enjoy simply writing. Since I’m not going anywhere for 15 hours I will take the time to share a few moments of my Thanksgiving Day with you.

Have you ever flown stand-by before? It can be a grewling process. Hoping, praying that somehow you’ll get a seat on the flight you so desperately want to get on. You and a small crowd of people stand by the gate agent desk after every paying passenger is on board. Everyone waits for the deep sigh of relief that is the call of your name signifying that they have printed you a ticket. Knowing today’s flight from Chicago to Hong Kong was going to be a long one, I was putting all my positive thoughts toward getting a seat in First Class. Unlike most of my flights throughout the year, this had an actual possibility of happening. First class. Yes PLEASE. So in the days preceding this flight I’d send up little prayers of “Lord, please give me a flight in First!?” And since I’m wanting to hear God’s voice more on, well, every subject, I was attempting to listen.

During the hours before the flight, I felt like the slightest whisper from God was, “You’re not getting first class today.” What?! Must be hearing God wrong. He didn’t just say that? Nah. This is one of the few or only possibilities I will have for an amazing seat in First Class! “Please please please will you give me a seat in first?” Silence… with a grin. Do you ever feel that – God’s just grinning at you not saying a thing like an all-knowing dad? I tried to quench my whine of a prayer and tell Him how I’ll sit wherever he wants me to. Grimicing I thought, “So Lord, where will I be sitting?” He’s says, “Now how am I supposed to surprise you if I keep telling you before it happens? Sometimes I just want to leave it till the last second. Be patient.” Ooookay. He’s always good to me. I have no need to worry. But I still was caught holding my breath a bit. Finally, the call came over the speaker, “Passenger Melilli!” Awesome – I’m on! … but where? I ran over to the desk to gratefully collect my ticket. 7H. What does 7H mean? Seems like the front, but dare I get my hopes up? Wheeling my bags down the line to get on board, I decided to just get in the coach class line and handed the gate agent my ticket. He smiled and said, “I think you’ll be closer to your seat going through this door.” And ushered me through the other line door – the red carpet one!

As I practically skipped down the jetway, I was still a bit puzzled. I had thought business class was overbooked. Turns out it wasn’t! As soon as I sat down a flight attendant breezed by offering a tray filled with glasses of champagne or orange juice. I helped myself and tried hide my shear elation at the total comfort around me. God was right (as always), I wasn’t in First Class, but I was sure well taken care of. Thank you so much, Father God!