“I don’t think I want to fly on buddy passes any more after this trip,” John stated as we waited in Des Moines to see if there would be open seats on the flight home to Atlanta. Buddy passes are non-revenue, standby tickets given as a benefit to airline employees, who can share them with family and friends. While there is a cost for taxes and fees, there is usually a significant savings flying on a buddy pass. The challenge is: one can only board the plane if there is an open seat.
Our friend Rob says, “Flying on a buddy pass requires faith,” so I replied to John Turner’s comment: “You gotta have faith, John.” “Oh, I believe in God, Dana, I just don’t believe we’re going to get on this plane.” I laughed, “I think God wants us to believe He is here with us in our everyday situations. He wants us to know He works things out for our good.”
I have to be careful what I say to this eighteen-year-old high school senior because I shared his same worries the day we departed Atlanta for Des Moines. Rob texted me after we arrived at the airport: “The flight is sold out. There must be three no-shows before you and John can fly. Don’t leave, though, until the door to the plane shuts. You just never know…” “Lord,” I prayed, “if we don’t get on this plane, we’ll have to cancel our trip. I thought You wanted us to go…”
We had first planned to visit and spend the night with the Bendicksons after we arrived on Tuesday. A GAC Middle School mission team was there in Iowa serving widows with Heart Shot. John knew the adults leading the trip so I was excited about another connection. Wednesday, we were scheduled to tour Indian Hills Community College where one of the wrestling coaches would continue to recruit John to wrestle. Thursday morning we planned to fly home. But if we couldn’t get to Iowa in the first place, our plans were for naught.
On Tuesday, after all had boarded and a last call was made over the loud speaker for missing passengers, our names were announced. The kind lady recognized the relief on our faces and said, “When I hand you these tickets, walk through that jetway door and don’t look back.” We got the last two seats on the plane. Such occasions bring forth automatic praise. Our God who is in Heaven cares about our seemingly insignificant situations here on earth. We know God is with us whether we board the plane or not, but He does require faith.
My own experiences include several times of NOT getting on the plane, so I can’t be critical of John’s opinion of buddy pass travel. It is much easier holding a real ticket in your hand without the suspense of the unknown. But it is also true that I don’t talk to God nearly as much when I’m not ‘in need’… and I surely don’t praise Him as much as when prayers are answered.
By the way, our connections with the Bendicksons, the GAC mission team, and the wrestling coach worked out beautifully, as did our flight home. We are still praising God for an incredible trip!
Here’s one more side story: A real concern we had about the trip to Iowa was my blood counts. Because of my battered bone marrow, the pattern over the last several months has been to receive platelets at Emory every Tuesday and Friday and to receive a unit of blood most Fridays. The red blood cells supply energy; the platelets clot the blood. For me, low platelets result in frequent bleeding. Even on infusion days, I usually bleed from the port where a needle was inserted or from my nose. I nearly always bleed on the second day. Since platelets have the shortest life span of any of our blood cells, I always bleed the day before and the day I am due to get infused.
Last week, I received platelets on Monday; we flew out Tuesday; we flew home Thursday; I went to Emory Friday morning and received a unit of platelets. From Monday to Friday I never bled. Susan had told John he would have to take care of me if I got into health trouble, so I imagine he was praying… as were many others. I don’t think I’ve gone that long without bleeding since starting this new chemo regimen last August.
After receiving the platelets Friday, I woke up Saturday morning with a blood-stained t-shirt and have bled every day since. I guess things are back to normal. Think I should have stayed in Iowa?
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable His judgments,
and His paths beyond tracing out!
‘Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been His counselor?’
‘Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?’
For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things.
To Him be the glory forever! Amen.” Romans 11:33-36