A Beautiful Thing!

A BEAUTIFUL THING ©

Rev. Dr. Daniel Meister

April 28, 2011

Back in 2002 I had some problems returning home to Great Britain after a visit back to the States. I had a rather “faith-stretching” return flight during the hot summer month of August. It all started in Boston.; the arriving flight from Paris being delayed due to “immigration problems.” This late departure from Boston caused me to miss my connecting flight from Paris back to Newcastle. The suggested “fix” was to put me on a flight from Paris to Dublin & then Dublin to Newcastle. “Okay,” I said, “make it happen!” So Dublin bound, I was sitting on the jet on the tarmac in 30C heat (that’s around 90F) when the captain announced that the plane still needed to be refueled. The fuel truck must come from the other side of the airport we were told – a 20 minute delay. Then the pilot reported that the air conditioning wasn’t working & a technical team was on its way to fix it. Forty-five minutes later, with regrets, the air conditioning can’t be fixed. Finally, the captain announces that a “radioactive material” has been found in someone’s suitcase in the airport & all flights will be grounded while it is investigated and disposed of. Three hours later we are allowed to finally deplane and are returned to the terminal. Of course, catching my connection to Newcastle went out the window.

In the middle of all of this, I met a 30-something couple from England, John & Sandra, who shared my exact circumstances all the way from Boston. Tired & exhausted, the airline put us up overnight. As our arrangements were being made, Sandra despaired about having a clean change of clothes & something to eat . . . until . . . she realized she had three apples in her carry-on luggage. Three apples for three people! Hmm! Coincidence? I don’t believe in them. No, these apples were no ordinary applies. They were modern manna (Exodus 16:31ff). They were contemporary fish & loaves (Matthew 14:14). These apples were a sign – a surprising sign – even to John & Sandra, of God’s ability to provide, not too little & not too much, but just exactly right. If worst came to worst, we would have, at least, eaten! It is God’s desire that we are content with His “just exactly right" (Phil. 4:11). So the next time you are in a frustrating situation (whatever it may be) remember God will get you through with exactly what you need in that moment or situation to enable you to carry on. He will provide! P.S. even though I didn’t make it to Dublin, my suitcases did! “It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.” (Philippians 4:11, The Message Version)