You just never know what a day will bring.
Two speaking services this morning and then lunch with Bob M, hosted by a gracious couple who live in a beautiful home on a lake before I board a two and a half hour direct flight from Bellingham, WA to Las Vegas, NV. For $35 I get the last seat in first class. Gorgeous day up here north of Seattle. I check the weather at home. Raining. Doesn’t seem right.
I, and the older man next to me, nod off shortly after we take off, even though the two large athletic men in the seats right in front of us are having an animated conversation about sports. About half hour later the steward wakes me up with a small meal. Since Lent is over (I gave up airline food), I ate the chicken with Gorgonzola and side salad. On the placemat is an Alaska Airlines card (see picture), with the Psalm quotation. Makes me grin, finding little graces in unexpected places.
One of the men in front of me heads for the bathroom and as the other leans his chair back I ask him, “So what takes you guys to Vegas?”
“We have a friend back there somewhere who is getting married, so there is a bunch of us going, how about you?”
“I have been invited to speak to a Catholic community.”
“Really? What about?”
He, Bob B, had never heard of The Shack and I explained it in terms of a murder suspense that asks basic human questions, like why if there is a good all-powerful God, do tragedies happen. By this time the other guy had returned, looking relieved.
“Are you kidding me?!” he exclaims. “My friend Neil here and I have been talking about that question for the last 30 minutes. And now you are telling me you wrote a book about that?”
At that moment, the guy next to me, Duncan, bolts straight up and exclaims, “Are you $#%$# kidding me? You wrote ‘that’ book? That is the best #*$&%$ book I have ever read, it changed my life. I’ve read it three times and tell everyone I know they need to read it, and I can’t believe you are here sitting next to me.”
He turns to the two guys. “Here I am half asleep trying not to listen and this guy next to me starts talking about God and faith, and I think, oh #$%#^@, here we go, another religious nut and I am trying to catch a few winks, and then he starts talking about the story and suddenly I’m thinking, Oh my God, he’s talking about The Shack. I cannot #*&%$% believe this.”
For an hour the four of us get to know each other, talk about life and loss. At one point Neil, who was a semi-pro hockey and soccer player starts talking about the death of his mother and tears start to flow. The pain is just below the surface.
Bob B talks about his wife, who he believes saved his life. He says, “I cannot begin to imagine what my life would have been like if she hadn’t entered it.” Of course, I am thinking about Kim.
Bob was the Canadian Junior Olympic soccer coach and assistant coach for the Canadian Olympic women’s team. Duncan is an Olympian too, a horse jumper, competing in international events and splitting his time between his ranch in Sumas, WA, and his homes in Vegas.
Me, I have been to Olympia, Washington…many times actually.
I have a couple books with me and give them to Neil and Bob, who promise to email me once they read them. They are still shaking their heads. Bob says, “I have known Neil for 35 years and this flight was the first conversation about God and faith that we have ever had, and here you turn up, right in the middle of our questions.”
We land, exchange hugs and part company.
The Catholics send JC (John Charles, in case you were wondering) and a stretch limo to pick me up and I am now in my 19th floor hotel room on the Vegas strip. Makes me grin and shake my head. Tomorrow, I speak twice at Christ the King Community.
You just never know what a day will bring.
