I returned home from Mirror Image choir tour two days early to attend my best friend’s debutante ball. I checked in and went smoothly through security and onto the plane, clueless as to what God had in store for me on my trip home!
    The flight from Dallas, TX to Charlotte, NC was not too crowded. Without anybody sitting next to me, I was planning on stretching out and taking a nap on the way home. They made the final boarding calls and the flight attendants were beginning to shut the overhead compartments.
   At the last moment, a couple boarded the plane, panting from frantically running through the airport. Come to find out, their last flight was delayed and almost caused them to miss this flight to Charlotte. Their seats were across the row from me. A young man in his thirties was already sitting in one of their seats, so they politely informed him that his actual seat was right beside me! I selfishly thought, So much for that nap!
    I was still wearing my fashionable Mirror Image t-shirt, which sparked a conversation.
  “What were you doing in Texas?” this man, Eric, asked me.
   I turned to him with a serious face and responded, “I’ve been in prison.”
    His eyes got really big, he nodded his head, and quickly turned away. After giggling inside for a few moments, I turned to him smiling and said, “I’m only kidding, I have been MINISTERING to inmates in prisons!”
    He was very interested in why I would want to do this, especially during my summer before college.
   I told him how God has called me to do mission work such as choir tour, and how God calls us all to do some type of work to strengthen His kingdom. Eric began asking me multiple questions about religion. “Why do you believe what you believe?” he asked.
   It was a true test of my faith. Even though I couldn’t answer ALL the questions he had for me, he inspired me to engage in learning more about my faith in order to stand strong in circumstances such as this, and in the future at college. His questions become more intuitive and he was very open to my responses.
   “My boss has invited me to church,” Eric said. “Several times. But I have never seen the point in going.”
   “Are you a Christian?” I boldly asked.
  Hesitating, he responded, “Well, yeah, I mean, sure I guess you could say that.”
   “Have you ever asked Jesus to be your personal Savior?”
  “No.”
  “Would you like to have a personal relationship with Jesus?”
   With excitement covering his face, he smiled and said, “I would love to!”
    So, I led him in the prayer of salvation and prayed over him on the plane. Eric couldn’t wait to get home and tell his boss, his wife, and kids about his decision and he was going to take his boss up on her offer of going to church with her! My heart was full of joy, and obviously so was his!
   Even though the intended mission work was to be done in the prisons, the most meaningful blessing for me actually happened on my trip home!
   God uses unusual circumstances to do unbelievable things!!!

By: Jean Anderson