He was the last one to board the flight to Chicago. He walked past me, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I thought, no one has the seat beside me…more room. Then, there he was, standing in the aisle and pointing to the seat beside me.
He said, “I have that seat. I thought I was in the back of the plane.” So much for more room. As he got settled, I could smell a hint of alcohol on his breath as he responded to my question, “Where are you headed?” He said, “West Palm Beach.”
And so the conversation with Nick from Lafayette, IN, began. I told him I lived in Columbus, IN, and was on my way to Mississippi. He had just returned from vacationing in Florida with his lady friend, and now he was returning to Florida for a different reason. Upon his arrival in West Palm Beach, he would be admitted to a rehab center. While we were talking, the center called him to make sure he was on the plane.
I asked him, “Nick, what is your addiction?”
“I am an alcoholic,” he confessed. “It is time for me to do this.” His employer, UPS, is paying for the trip and his treatment.
We talked the entire flight. My heart broke for Nick. You see, we have a grandson who was addicted to opioids and is now almost 6 years clean. I tried my best to encourage Nick. “You can do this, Nick! It’s time!”
He said, “I know, I’m going to make this work.”
As we taxied to the terminal in Chicago, I took Nick’s hand. He let me pray with him. He thanked me and wished me luck with my trip.
I plan to check on Nick! I have his contact information. Ministry can happen even when you hope no one will have the seat next to you.