John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."

I love to travel but it's not always about the place I'm heading to. It's the journey along the way. The people I get to meet in the airport, on the airplane, standing in line to get luggage, the Uber driver, or the waitresses & waiters.

A few days ago I had a flight to catch to my west Texas hometown of Andrews. Before heading out the door to the airport I always make sure I have a bible to give away or a gospel tract. I fumbled through the desk drawer and couldn't find either. In bit of a hurried panic I could only find one that my husband wrote when we first started pastoring our church 30 years ago. It didn't have our cell phones or email address on it because they weren't even invented when he had written it!

But I knew the words inside were up-to-date because God's Word never grows old! So I shoved it in my side purse pocket and ran out the door.
 
Three days later that tract was still in my purse when I arrived at the airport to head home to Fort Worth, TX. I prayed, "Lord, I don't want to take this home today. I want to give it away! Show me who needs to know about your love and that you want to be their forever friend." I decided to grab a bite to eat before heading to my gate. I looked around the dining area as I waited on my order. I saw a tall young man with big muscles and thought, "So how am I suppose to strike up a conversation without sounding like an old lady cougar?" "Hi, so those are big muscles you have there. Do you work out?" Uhh...nope! I didn't want to embarrass him or me!
 
So I waited. Then I saw it. This really cool t-shirt! Just so you know, t-shirts & tattoos are great ways to start a conversation. Not muscles. It read, "It cannot be inherited. It cannot be purchased. I have earned it with my blood, sweat and tears. I own it forever. Oilfield strong."
 
I’m a born and raised west Texas gal with red sand in my ears, tumbleweeds for Christmas trees, surrounded by pump jacks, and a twang in my accent to put Willie Nelson to shame...I knew this young man and I had something to talk about! I commented on his t-shirt and asked if I could take a picture of it. As we visited about his life in the oilfield I forgot about the "colorful language" these drilling rig workers spit out like oil spurting from a new hole. I blinked past every other word as he smiled and shared about his life on the rig in West VA and in west Texas. After I took the picture of his t-shirt he asked if I was going to send it to "a purdy single girl he could meet". I told him I'd let him know if I could think of someone!
 
After discovering we were on the same flight he asked me if I would make sure he got on the plane. He began to explain that the last time he flew home he had enjoyed a bit too many beers and ended up on the wrong plane and landed in Tennessee. He then went on to say that when he got off and went to a restaurant there was a song playing, "Country Roads Take Me Home" & that kind of freaked him out! I told him I'd be more than happy to get him on the plane and make sure he made it to his mountain home in West Virginia!
 
During the flight I began to pray for my new friend Mark. "Lord, bless Mark. Help him to know of your unconditional love, your amazing forgiveness, your gentle mercy & grace, and that You desire to be his new forever friend." I pulled out the old tract my husband written and began to write a personal note on the back flap. I asked the Lord to help me find him once the plane landed so I could give it to him. I wasn't for sure if he was at the front of the plane and would hurry out to his connecting flight. Once we landed and able to take off our seatbelts and stand up, I stretched my neck trying to look as far as I could toward the front of the plane to see where he might be. I couldn’t see him. So I turned around expecting to eye every stranger behind me to see his familiar face. As soon as I turned my head there he was! His seat was right behind me! I love how God wants us to partner with Him in reaching out to show His love! He really does make it easier than we realize! We just need to be willing to join Him!
 
Mark and I walked off the plane together and as we were about to go our separate ways I handed him the note. I could see him smile through his eyes since his mask covered most of his face. "Have a nice trip home Mark! It was nice to meet you!"
 
As I sit here tonight looking at the picture I took reading the wording again that was on his t-shirt, I'm flooded with the powerful message of John 3:16 that was written inside that tract. Salvation, it cannot be inherited. You can't make it to heaven just because your mother, grandmother, father or relative was a Christian. You have to make that personal decision to choose Christ and surrender your life to him. Then you inherit the kingdom of Heaven because you are a child of the most High God! It cannot be purchased. You can't buy your way to heaven, give to the poor or drop a big check in the offering plate. But there's One that purchased you for a price. He shed His blood on Calvary to buy you back. You were purchased by His blood. (1 Corinthians 6:20)
 
You can't earn salvation with your own blood, sweat and tears. (Romans 6:23) But there's One that did give you the gift of eternal life with His blood, sweat and tears. And when you receive that free gift of His grace, you will own it forever! Nothing can snatch you out of His hands.

Can I remind you today that Jesus wants to be your friend? By accepting Him as your Lord and Savior you will inherit everlasting life that was purchased by His blood, sweat and tears and you will live forever with Him!
 
Thanks for listening and for reading with your heart. I just wanted to make sure that when your journey called “life” comes to an end one day that you'll make it on the Right flight to heaven.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) It never gets old! He’s your ticket to everlasting life! Don’t miss the flight! It’s heavenly!