strangers

I just got back from a weeklong trip in Germany, and if you’ve ever travelled internationally, you know what a pain it can be. Delayed flights. Layovers. Jet lag. Freezing planes. Zero leg room and I'm not even tall. It’s not fun stuff.

Needless to say, I was exhausted after a busy week, plus the journey home. But it’s often in those moments when I am emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted that God does cool things. And I usually wish He wouldn’t… Such was the case as I sat at my gate in Dallas, receiving the news that my flight had been delayed yet again.

I was slightly annoyed and frustrated and reallyyyyy didn’t want to be stuck in Dallas over night. I tried to have a good attitude about it since it was outside of my control, but I had been up for 22 hours at this point and just wanted my bed. I was also getting myself all worked up as I reflected on the past week. I thought about all of the cultural differences and wondered how I was going to ever fit in in Germany. 

And then this middle-aged man interrupted my anxious and tired thoughts by sitting down right next to me, even though there were plenty of empty seats that were more than six inches from me. And he started talking immediately. And when I say he started talking immediately, I mean he began telling me his whole life story. It always surprises me when stuff like this happens because I kinda have resting bitch face. Especially when I’m tired. I know I don’t look approachable.

I tried so hard to listen, but my eyelids and brain weren’t in the mood. I mustered up as many “mmm hmm’s,” “yeah’s,” laughs, and head nods as I could.

The more he talked, however, the easier I found it to listen and began to wake up. We didn’t have much in common. Politically and religiously, we saw the world very differently. Really the only thing we shared was our interest in dating men. 

After about 10 minutes, the conversation turned and he asked about me and why I was traveling. So I told him I’d been in Germany for work, which of course begged the question what I did. I told him I worked for Young Life, and he asked some very good and challenging questions about it. I then admitted I was nervous about moving to another country, and he offered some really good advice and encouragement. All in all, we had a great conversation. 

We finally boarded the plane and began the flight back to Arkansas. He caught up to me at baggage claim when we landed to say goodbye and that it was nice meeting me. And it was genuinely nice meeting him, too.

It’s often in those moments when I am emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted that God does cool things. Like show me I can be friends with people that are different from me. I will probably never see that man again. But for about 20 minutes, I had the privilege of hearing his story and sharing a little of my own. For about 20 minutes, a stranger became a friend.