I had just boarded a plane for a flight from Washington DC to Los Angeles. We had assigned seats, so it wasn’t too chaotic. My group was called, and we marched on the plane in a perfect single-file line to find our seats. As someone with claustrophobia, I wasn’t thrilled to have a middle seat for the flight, but I could deal with it. I found my place, squeezed past the man sitting in the aisle seat, and sat down.

Watching people load an aircraft is one of the best people-watching opportunities ever. It’s easy to tell the seasoned travelers from the newbies. Some walk down the aisle as if it’s their personal catwalk, and others look absolutely terrified by the entire experience. There are people of every age, shape, and size. Some are super conservative and others…well not so much.

The man sitting next to me, by the window on my right, had already checked out. He had headphones on and was typing away on his laptop as if the world was going to end if he didn’t get whatever he was working on done before the plane took off. Maybe it would, who knew? He never said a word the entire flight. The man on my left, in the aisle seat, had his head down and was completely focused on his phone.

I watched as a few more people filed by, but then a young woman caught my eye as she stopped to sit in the row in front of us. Before she took her seat, she located a spot in the bin above to stash away her carry-on bag. She tried to lift her bag above her head and place it in the compartment, but she was all of about five foot two and was seriously struggling. I’ll give her credit for giving it her all, but she just couldn’t do it. As she struggled, the passengers behind her were waiting to get to their seats. They were getting impatient.

I watched her struggle for a minute and realized she wasn’t going to get it done on her own. It was killing me. If I were sitting on the aisle, I could simply stand up and help her. But I was trapped in that doggone middle seat. Was I the only one that could see her? Here we were, in a plane filled with people, and no one thought to help. Finally, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I gently said, “Could someone please help her?” It wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t rude or obnoxious. It also wasn’t directed at anyone in particular. It was quite obvious I was in no position, literally, to help her.

The guy next to me looked up from his phone like someone had pinched him. He jumped to his feet, all six-foot-something of him. With little to no effort, he easily put her bag in the overhead compartment. She was beyond grateful. As our eyes met, I saw she was obviously relieved as she took her seat in the row in front of us as quickly as she was able.

When my row-mate sat back down, he looked at me and said, “I feel like a total jerk.”

I don’t remember his name, but we chatted quite a bit during the five-hour flight. He was smart, personable, and seemed like a very nice guy. He truly felt horrible that he had been so unaware. When we landed, he made sure to get the bag back down without hesitation.

I get it. Sometimes we simply want to put our heads down or plug our ears and disappear.
However, we seem to have stopped paying attention to the lives around us. We all know we’re living in a world with too many distractions. But what if at the very moment we choose to check out we miss a chance to make a difference in someone’s life? Are we missing opportunities where we can be an example of what God’s love looks like?

Galatians 6:2 tells us to carry each other’s burdens, and in this way we will fulfill the law of Christ. Hebrews 13:16 tells us to not forget to do good and to share with others for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Let’s try to reengage. I don’t want to feel like a total jerk.

Wishing you joy and peace,

 Lorrie