They were passing out tracts for me!

Twice, on a recent trip, I had people ask for additional tracts and then give them out to others for me. I try to remember times like these when I run into rejection!

I was in a very, very, small airport. The security people at that airport have always been very friendly and professional. When I was going through security I struck up a conversation with the TSA gentleman that was running the x-ray machine. I’m always careful to follow all the rules (took the laptop out of the bag, made sure liquids were in a clear plastic bag, etc. etc. etc.) – and that seems to help. After I made it through the metal detector (normally I take my belt off but this time the fellow that was running the metal detector said to keep it on as it shouldn’t be a problem – and, he was right) I kept chatting with the x-ray fellow.

It takes me a little while to get all of my gear off the x-ray machine’s conveyor belt and back into pockets and my laptop bag. In my laptop bag I have my supply of tracts. Since there was no one else coming through security right then (as I said – small airport!), the x-ray tech wasn’t busy. I asked him if he had ever been given a million dollar bill, and he said he hadn’t. I gave him one and he was very grateful and duly impressed. I pointed out that the back has the gospel message around the edge (I don’t recall if I gave him a more detailed tract to go with it). Another TSA security agent that was next to him asked if she could have one as well – I said sure. The original x-ray tech then had an idea: he asked if he could have another one so he could give it to his boss who would absolutely love it. I told him I had plenty, and thanked the Lord for the three-fold increase that He gave (one tract to one person expanded to three people).

Due to a rescheduling of flights (delayed flight as a result of a thunderstorm, which would have missed my connection, then rescheduled with a different airline for the following day) I was flying a different airline/route than I usually do. Because of the last-minute change of flights and reservations, I wasn’t able to get the aisle seat on all my flights (which, as I have shared before, makes working on the laptop a slightly more pleasant ordeal).

For one flight, the plane was configured for three seats, aisle, two seats. And it was a longer plane than usual. For that flight, my seat was a window seat on the three-across side. I was one of the last on the flight because I was charging my laptop during the layover. I boarded the plane and went about half way back to my seat (yes, the other two people were already sitting down); but the lady in one of the seats said a gentleman had put his stuff in my seat and then gone back to the restroom and would be returning soon. Fun! Someone thought my seat was their seat… Maybe, I prayed, the Lord could use this to get me an aisle seat!

I had passed two empty seats up closer to the front which would have been perfect: aisle and window on the two-seat side. With such a full flight (they were the only empty seats I had seen up to that point) – it would be great: I could sit in the aisle seat and store stuff in the window seat. However, there were two younger girls that were also in the aisle looking for their seat. Since we were the last ones on the plane I was hoping they were headed further back (they had already passed the two open seats) and I asked them where they were headed. They double-checked their ticket stubs and found out they were supposed to be back up towards the front in those two empty seats.

I figured I would keep heading towards the back looking for an open seat. The flight shouldn’t have been overbooked (the airlines usually deal with overbookings before beginning the boarding process), and I figured any open seat would do. In fact, any open seat had a really good (statistically speaking) chance of being a better seat for doing computer work than the one I was assigned.

This plane had a weird configuration in that there was a little kitchen/galley area on the 3-seat side of the plan about 75% of the way back, with more seats behind it. The only empty seat I saw was an empty AISLE seat in that area, and there was a stewardess working in the galley. I told her what was going on and asked if I could take the open seat. She said “sure.”

The setup for the seats plays a part in the story – so I’ll try to describe it quickly. I was in the aisle seat with a gentleman next to me (turns out he is a believer and we had a great time of fellowship and prayer together). Then the aisle. On the 3-seat side, there was a jump seat by the aisle, and then two seats further over. Behind them, they had a wall and then the galley.

During the takeoff, a stewardess sat in the jump seat, and then folded it up later.

Mid-flight, I had the idea of putting a million-dollar bill tract into the magazine holder in front of the jump-seat. I figured the stewardess would notice it and perhaps ask the people sitting in the seats next to her and they would start a conversation about it. So, that’s what I did. I set the tract so it was sticking out a little bit and then kept on working on my laptop and talking with the brother that was next to me.

Ten or fifteen minutes later the stewardess stopped by the jump seat to get something out of her bag. She immediately noticed the tract and picked it up and began to read it. She started talking with the people in the seats that were right next to her. She then started talking to the people in the row in front of us – showing them the tract asking if they had put the tract there. She asked another row as well. As she turned towards where I was sitting I told her I had put it there for her. She was very grateful and wondered if I had more.

The people she had shown the tract to also wanted some, and she also wanted to give some to her coworkers. I gave her some more million dollar bills along with some other tracts and she began passing them out. She called a few coworkers over and gave them some as well.

She came back and stood in the aisle and I gave her a few more tracts for herself (the others she had given away). I began explaining a little more of what was in the tracts. Turns out, she had a nominal Catholic background and (as routinely is the case) was hoping in her good works to gain her access to heaven. As we went through the ten commandments she acknowledged that she was guilty before God and was beginning to realize that her good works couldn’t earn her salvation. At one point a coworker came by and she told her coworker “Hey, sit down, you need to listen to this!” But the coworker was busy right then.

All in all, it was a blessing to be able to share the gospel with her, and to have what was easily a 10 or 15-fold increase of tracts passed out! I encouraged her to read her Bible (starting in the book of John) and pray to God for Him to reveal Jesus to her – and she promised to do so.

One thing I know: it doesn’t always work like this. In fact, I would have to say this is a rarity – but it was such a blessing and encouragement to my heart.

It is VERY easy to get lazy in passing out tracts. I wonder how many other situations that are similar to this one I have missed out on because I didn’t bother to pass out the initial tract?

Next week we are going to help out with another County Fair outreach. It’ll be hot (forecast is calling for heat indexes up around 105) – which will be good as we’ll be giving out free (ice cold) soda and water, along with tracts. Please pray for us. I will try and post updates…