Georgia on My MInd

Yesterday I was on my way home from Florida with my family. It was really unusual for me to be gone between Palm Sunday and Easter but my daughter is a senior in High School and everything has that "last time" feel to it this year. Anyway, we hit Atlanta and so did a flurry of storms. We sat waiting for a connection that never came. Our first connection was cancelled at 10pm so we got on the phone and on another connection. There was some urgency since I had a funeral I was privileged to be asked to do and Easter weekend starts later this afternoon. Our second flight was cancelled at 2am this morning so we ended up overnight in Atlanta and Jim Colledge was able to fill in and serve the family that was having the funeral. We flew out early this morning. I spent some time walking around Atlanta airport. It was fascinating to watch how different people responded to what was going on. I talked to a young airman who was on a 72 hour leave and was watching it run through his hands like sand. Others struggled with young children. I wear a band around my wrist that has three words on it. To-In-Through. It is to remind me that everything that happens to me is so God can do something in me so later he can work through me. It was a good reminder last night. I watched the airline personnel try to calm people and help them. They were ridden hard last night and put away wet (that is what my Mom used to say. She is from the south). I walked all the way down our Concourse looking at people and wondering how many were followers of Jesus. I wondered if all the followers of Jesus made things easier on the airline people. I think Jesus would have for sure so it makes sense that we would. I am not sure it happened. If it did happen I thought it would be cool if all the followers wore something that identified us so the airline people would know who to thank. Then I thought it might even be better if we didn't wear anything special but eventually the airline people caught on that there was a whole group of people who responded differently to being inconvenienced, who even went out of their way to help make things better. I sat there watching people and twisting my wrist band, thinking about Easter and hoping that all the world was noticing the difference the risen Christ made the moment he emerged from the tomb and the difference he has been making ever since even in a jammed up airport in Georgia.