I am waiting in LAX right now for a flight to Phoenix. A golf trip for three days with some friends. It’s an annual time away. Fun to hang, golf, laugh, and pray together for our families. As I sit here, I was reminded of something significant that happened this time last year. I was taking a flight from Fresno to Phoenix, after having the privileged of speaking a conference, for this same golf trip. I was seated beside a man who was flying to PHX to see his kids but who lives in Kansas. We started talking about God. He asked me what I did for a living. I told him. It was on.

He hit me with evil and suffering, the Christ myth, the legitimacy of the Bible, and we talked for what seemed like three hours (it was most likely an hour because the flight isn’t that long).

After doing my best to defend Christianity from the onslaught, he sat back in his chair and said “You know, you’ve given me a lot to think about tonight. Maybe Christianity isn’t as silly as I thought.”

I told him I was writing a book for guys like him – skeptical about the existence of God, the Bible, and Jesus. He leaned forward. “Oh, I would really like to read that.”

“I will send you a copy when it is out”, I said.

I took a picture of his letterhead. It was all he had on him.

I was reminded of him before the book had a release date last year and emailed him. “I still remember you and will send you the book.”

And then, I forgot all about him.

And now, here we are, in March of 2018 and I remembered him again, just now. Sitting in LAX. I pulled out my phone and scrolled all the way up to February 2017 and saw his name and number on that letterhead I had taken a picture of. I just emailed him, ten minutes ago: “Sorry it has taken so long, haha. Tell me your address. I will send you the book this week. Hope you are well.”

 

I am not sure what this is meant to teach us:

+ The small conversations matter.

+ People out there aren’t actually Christians, so you should actually tell them about Jesus.

+ Make sure you don’t promise stuff you don’t deliver on.

+ Be conscious at all times of the things that can remind you of the important things.

+ Under-promise and over deliver.

I don’t know – maybe a myriad of deeper or more shallow things for you.

For me, it made me wonder about all the conversations I have had which are important, that may be waiting for a response from me, which I haven’t been reminded about because they weren’t airport ones, or planes ones, but more every day. Who might be waiting on me? To help them. To send them a book, or a note, or an email encouraging them? (To be honest, those are mostly the ones I try to send now).

Who is in your line of sight right now you need to remember? Who needs that thing sent to them? Who needs that phone call? That text of encouragement? That follow-up from you that you forgot about in your busyness?

It matters.

Thank God he gives us reminders.