From the moment she sat down, it was clear that this was not going to be the kind of flight where I get a lot of reading done. She needed help – getting her bag in the overhead compartment, collecting her pills that she dropped, finding the other end of her seat belt. She was loud – so much so that the other passengers turned around to see who had just moved into the neighborhood. She was needy – story after story of family tragedies, sudden deaths, and her own current batter with cancer.
While I listened, it was clear that the Lord had orchestrated this opportunity for me to share the gospel. Forty-five minutes into the conversation, she finally took a breath. Since she was talking about death, I was able to ask her what her views of the afterlife were. Her response included a few things about God and a few things about love. From here, I was able to share with her about the God of love and how all the brokenness that we experience in life is due to the fact that we live in a fallen and sinful world – but that this was not God’s original design. I spoke of redemption and ultimate healing in Jesus, and how we can have the promise of forgiveness and eternal life through faith in what He accomplished in His perfect life, death, and resurrection. While she did not profess faith in Jesus by the time we landed, I’m confident that she felt cared for (listened to) and that she heard the Truth.
As Christians, it is so important for us to be good listeners as we interact with others. When we listen well and ask good questions, we will find it much easier to transition our conversations to the gospel.
Pastor Nate