Turning Left

In my 70 years of air travel to over 20 countries, I had never turned left before. When I boarded a plane, I was always instructed to turn right. The day I turned 70 my eyes were opened to a different world of abundance.

Every February I pack my bags and head to Rwanda where I facilitate Christ-centered leadership courses for Kurumbuka Leadership Solutions and their Abundant Leadership Institute. The rest of the year is online as an academic liaison with Trinity Western University. Kurumbuka has the vision to train 10,000 leaders by 2030 and they are halfway there. This year, we had 60 executive leaders from 19 countries embracing the transformation from a scarcity mindset of dependence on outsiders to a lifestyle of abundance, identifying and utilizing the resources God had already placed in their own communities. Leaders came from NGOs, Banks, Schools, Churches, and International organizations. On this celebration of my 70^th birthday I received an unexpected gift even before the sun came up.

It was the gift of King Arthur – – my confident companion. Arthur had travelled to over 70 countries and he turned left whenever possible. He had walked the way, had navigated the systems, and knew how to live calmly and peacefully in the middle of it all. On my 70^th birthday, I thought I was alone. I don’t know what the chances are that Dar Lee Ann (Kurumbuka staff) and Arthur would book exactly the same air ticket but it was the first miracle on a memorable day. Arthur had the golden membership ticket to the VIP lounges and we entered a hidden wonderworld at each stop. He showed his proof of identity and said, I am permitted a guest. I have a guest and friend. There were no questions asked. (Just like Jesus is our confident companion opening the way for us to a life of abundance we could never imagine.)

In the lounge, there were people who seemed to have no worry. No hurry. Food was abundant. As Arthur said to me at our first lounge. We have time. It’s all complementary. Enjoy. Arthur travelled light with a carry on and backpack. I had two large 23 kilo bags of stuff I thought I needed. Without the extra baggage he could breeze in and out of airports, but Arthur, my confident companion, waited for me along the way to ensure that I was not alone. His gentle, comfortable, role was a gift from God in ways I didn’t even know I needed.

Our layovers were short enough that my mindset was as usual. Get to the gate and wait as quickly as possible. Arthur’s eye turned first to the place of abundance. The lounges. His phone told him all he needed. When he needed to get to each gate, where he was always a zone two frequent traveler, he would walk up and head onto the plane among the first with little waiting. I walked in his shadow and was welcomed aboard as his guest with no questions. Being first on, luggage and space was easily managed before the crowd arrived jockeying for space and place. The first flight to Montreal had me by the window. Usually, I’m on the aisle but Dar Lee Ann had booked me a window. Arthur was two rows ahead of me on the aisle. Again, amazing. My companion was in sight.

Being by the window means you can’t access your overhead carry on to pack up as quick and there is a hidden panic about being left as your companion walks off. I was in such a hurry I forgot to take the Claritin allergy nasal spray I had shoved into the seat pocket in front of me. I knew how badly I would need that when we got off the plane and had to travel through a section of perfume stores. I clogged up immediately and knew I needed help. I had an extra nasal spray with me but I thought it was in my luggage. Arthur got me into the lounge and I was able to use the washroom to try and clear my sinuses.

I thought I could manage the challenge facing me so followed Arthur onto the plane. He got upgraded from row 20 to 14. Even though his new assignment was a middle seat he had no complaints. “Met two interesting fellows,” he would say.

On this flight I would receive a second gift. I sat by Montreal’s head rabbi who had talked to the airline about not booking anyone beside him. That seat was the only vacant one on the plane and was important for challenges I would face. We chatted around the challenges of Orthodox communities in today’s world. After our evening meal, he pulled out his four prayer books, put a blanket over his head and went to work. In the middle he fell asleep.

I was struggling to breathe and with an hour and a half to go, felt I needed help. I got the attention of a steward. They brought me Benadryl. I took two and it eased some of my symptoms but I started shaking hard. The flight attendants got the head steward. There was a little panic among the passengers as four stewards hovered over our row. The rabbi pulled out his prayer book and went to work. Later, he would tell me that this week’s Torah reading was about the importance of having Ha’Shem and doctors working together for our wholeness.

The head steward had told me to not go on my next flight and made me promise that I would think it through and make a wise decision. I told her that I had a companion and I would confer with him. As I prayed, I heard God telling me that he had the resources I needed. As I met Arthur and told him about the trauma on the plane he took me calmly to the lounge where we could get away from all the chaos. Amazingly, he had medication that would help me – he had Tylenol cold and flu with an antihistamine. I gladly took the pills and thought I should wait til boarding the next flight so I didn’t add one more pill to the two Benadryl I had taken.

When it was time to board, I followed Arthur to zone 2. We had searched through two stores looking for nasal spray without success. We headed to our gate and just meters before we entered the line, a vending machine caught Arthur’s attention. It was a medical dispensing machine and as we looked it had the nasal spray I needed. Arthur used google translate and his research skills to ensure that it was the right stuff. Amazingly, it was. I was able to purchase the solution and immediately tried it out.

 We walked into a short line and in moments, he introduced me as his guest and friend. They took my passport and ticket and said, wait, you’ve been upgraded. At first, I was confused, thinking they meant Arthur. They handed me a new seat and Arthur noticed. He said, you’ve been upgraded to business class. I still had no idea what that meant. It was on the plane that the steward said, step ahead and turn left. I had never turned left before. Arthur bid me well and went to his assigned seat.

I couldn’t believe what I saw. Luxury and abundance. I didn’t realize how badly I needed to lie down and this pod allowed for that. I took the Tylenol and another nasal spray. For four hours, I would be uncomfortable, but with a chance to lie down I slowly recovered. I couldn’t eat more than half of the cold eel spring roll covered in rice wrap and sprinkled with caviar and sauces. I also didn’t eat more than a few bites of the guinea fowl. I was surrounded with abundance but still felt terrible. But I was in a space to recover.

For once, I didn’t tense when I realized there were still 3 ½ hours left. I lay back down and enjoyed the trip. Turning left had been the greatest of birthday gifts, but it was the companion who travelled with me when I was still struggling on the right that made all the difference.

Jesus gave me Arthur as a guardian angel and a confident companion. Arthur demonstrated the love and grace of Jesus as we struggle through the things that take our focus. I was so focused on my struggles that I almost took my confident companion for granted. He opened doors I could never open. He showed the path to privileges I never imagined enjoying. He was with me all the way.

In the middle of the night, after safely arriving at my destination. God opened my eyes to the gift he had given me on my birthday. How wonderful it has been to relive my day from God’s perspective. It was Arthur whose faith quietly reflected itself when he mused: “I wonder if we went back to that gate if the medical vending machine would still be there?”

At the Kigali airport, as I waited for my two big luggages, I saw the joyful face of Racheal, my co-facilitator who welcomed me. She is celebration in a body. Behind her, my son, Richard arrived, concerned and caring. Before we retired for the night, he would pray for me. Alain and Ronald were waiting to drive us to Ikaze, where Leoni had a birthday cake to celebrate at 10 at night. A truly memorable day.

Jesus has a life of abundance waiting for us. Sometimes, we are too embroiled in our own struggles to notice what he is offering. He is our confident companion who has walked the path and who has the identity pass to welcome us as his guest and friend. We get ushered into places and spaces we never imagined for ourselves. We live in scarcity, huddling with the masses, hoping to get an inch ahead, hoping for a little space to stuff our things. Even when that happens, he is with us. He has the resources and relationships we need. We are never alone, even if it isn’t our 70^th birthday.