Seatmates

Monday, October 28, 2024

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)

Seatmates

You are no longer travelers and strangers to each other, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones, and members of the household of God.

Margaret has developed a wonderful facility for becoming friends with strangers. She can do that in a crowded elevator, or before and after church. But on planes from Champaign to Chicago or Dallas, and then a second plane to Austin, her gift shines like platinum in the sun.

Flying home Saturday she realized her jet would be full of standbys from an earlier cancelled flight, and she readied herself, in her aisle seat, for two unscheduled seatmates. That was fine with her. It took 20 minutes or so, but soon Jennifer and Josh joined her for the short ride from Dallas to Austin.

She soon made friends with them both. Jennifer, headed home from St. Louis with her daughter, spent years with Campus Crusade for Christ, sometimes in Macomb at Western Illinois University. We nearly accepted an offer of campus ministry at Western, before we chose Don Follis’ offer to come to the University of Illinois at Urbana.

Margaret told Jennifer the story of how we got to Austin in 2021, how she looked online while trapped in place by Covid 19, unable to see our growing grandkids in Texas, how she found an inviting apartment complex across Jollyville Road from the church we had loved attending for ten years with Andi and Aki and their 5 and 2 year-old boys. Evolve Apartments was charming, and when we came to Austin in October to look more closely, a first-floor apartment with a forest-facing patio was available. We loved it and headed home with big plans.

Before we could sign the lease, another couple wanted the same place. But within a couple of days they chose another spot, and we signed on the virtual dotted line from our home in Illinois. I began moving furniture in our spacious white Prius the next week, and by Christmas we were living in Austin.

Margaret told the story. Jennifer was curious about what street we lived on, what church she was talking about. Grace Covenant Church on Jollyville Road.  Jennifer’s mouth fell open.

“That’s where we go to church!” Her husband, Josh, drives a golf cart from the parking lot. They taught classes for parents with young teens and knew Andi and Aki, who did the same for parents with new children. Yesterday, all of us met under the spreading live oak that anchors the church campus. So fun!

Through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message.

On the plane, Jennifer and Margaret’s communion created a magnetic spiritual field for Josh (also Jennifer’s husband’s name), sitting over by the window. Margaret’s gentle style made it easy for him to respond to her questions, even if his spirituality hadn’t been on the top of his mind. Josh has a 9-year-old daughter. Margaret talked about the way our church had become a community for our kids and grandkids, as well as both sets of their grandparents. Our own three generations meet together at least once a week across Jollyville Road from our apartment.

Josh rubbed his knee and she asked about that. He has runner’s knee, and sitting in that small seat for an hour was getting to him. In a moment Margaret asked if she could pray for him.

Well, … yes, he said. But I need to touch your knee, she said. How about if you hold my hand, he said. And she did. And she and Jennifer prayed for Josh, one hand in his and the other lifted in the air.

Yesterday’s class at church focused on the Torah, and Margaret remembered the wave offering, instituted by God and recorded in the book of Leviticus. “It felt just like an offering when we prayed,” she said. I think of how small planes wave their wings in response to folks on the ground. How we waved hello on the ground at the airport as midnight approached, when Margaret was looking for her ride (me). How Josh went home surprised at all of this, waving to his wife when she picked him up.

God is good.

The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day pours out the word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge.

(Ephesians 2, Psalm 19, Luke 6)

(posted at www.davesandel.net)

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