Aug 7th, 2022: An Unexpected Conversation

My flight to Winnipeg was delayed.

Most people seemed not to be anxious because we are used to such a case.

However, the young man who sat next to me at the gate was agitated.

He was mumbling "wtf...wtf" in a very disturbed state.

I asked him whether he needed something to drink.

He said: "I cannot be late...it might be too late, and this stinks"

I invited him to walk and get a coffee with me.

He then told me his father was dying, and he had not seen his father since January.

He and his father are not close; they have too many unfinished conversations.

In some ways, he was seeking personal redemption.

They don't seem to be able to communicate beyond superficiality.

Not much in their relationship is healthy. 

He left home when he was sixteen.

He never came back for Christmas or birthdays ever since.

I asked him what he was hoping for when he saw his dad.

"Just a good conversation, so he knows my love for him," he added.

I asked whether I could pray for that opportunity.

He was quiet, so I proceeded quietly.

Sometimes it takes an encounter with the death of a loved one for us to examine ourselves freely.

On either side, God is with us gently.

As we walked back to the gate, it looked like we won't be too late.

We both sat in silence. I thanked God for the encounter as we waited.

"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you." —Deuteronomy 31:8

"The Lord says, 'I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.'" —Psalms 32:8