Funny thing about God. When you ask Him for opportunities to be a blessing, He gives them to you.
The trick, at least for me, is learning to hear His voice. To see what He’s pointing at. Or feel His poke on the shoulder.
At church we’ve been challenged as individuals to find ways both practical and creative to serve at least 30 people in 30 days. One of my prayers of late is that God will make me a blessing to others.
Last Friday on a Southwest flight from Austin to Lubbock I’m thinking about what it means to be a blessing and praying that prayer again. We stop in Dallas to change planes. One step inside the terminal and I am punched in the nose by one of the most delicious smells in the world. If you ever want to trap me, just put a fresh Cinnabon cinnamon roll on the other side of a trip wire and I’m hanging upside down by my ankles. 
When I smell Cinnabon I go involuntarily Bloodhound. There are no signs anywhere. But I know it’s here. I can smell it. By Gate 2? Nope, not there. Double back. Around the corner. There it is! A little portable stand.
Ahead of me in line, a 20-something guy. From the back all I see is a buzz haircut with a design shaved into it. Backpack, jacket, jeans. He asks the lady behind the counter, “Do you take checks?” An odd question at an airport, I think. She rolls her eyes before being polite. “Nope. Not unless it’s a travelers check.” He says ok and walks away.
Finally. My turn. “Cinnabon, please.”
She serves it up. I look to my left. There he is. Buzz cut backpack guy, walking toward Gate 6.
I’m not a mystical person. In fact, I possess what I consider to be a healthy cynical streak. Especially when it comes to what some people claim about spirituality. But I hear it. Not a voice. But I hear it.
“Do it.”
“That’ll be $3.89.” I hand the lady a ten. I look again. He’s gone.
“Do it.”
There are plenty of reasons not to do it. Not the least of which is I have a plane to catch and buzz cut backpack guy is nowhere in sight. There’s a line behind me now. This just isn’t practical.
She hands me my change. The thought comes to me, “You asked to be a blessing. Were you serious about that? Or not?”
Nice poke, God. Oh, well. Here goes.
“Hey, gimme one more please.” I have a carry on and a backpack and not enough hands for 2 Cinnabons. “Looks like you could use a bag,” she says. Great idea.
I take off half walking, half running down the concourse. Dodging moms and strollers and guys with cell phones stuck to their ear. Then the mental monologue begins.
“This is crazy. This is nuts. I can’t believe I’m doing this. I only saw him from the back. What the heck does he even look like? If he’s not here, what do I do? Eat both of them? Good idea! No! Wait! Bad idea! Where is he?! My plane is going to board!”
I’m now uncomfortably far away from my gate. Buzz cut backpack guy is nowhere to be seen. “Look, God. This was your idea. A little help here?!”
From a moving herd of suits and ties and roller luggage, he appears. Right in front of me.
I’m great at thinking on my feet. Yet now realize I have no line for handing a Cinnabon to a stranger. And it’s not like we have time to get acquainted.
I stick the bag in his hand and say the first thing that pops into my spinning head.
“Some big dude back there told me to give this to you.” It’s not a lie, really. God’s a big dude. As I speak I shrug my shoulders like I don’t understand it, either. Which I don’t. He looks at me like a calf staring at a new gate. But he takes it.
Half walking, half running toward my plane I think, “God, I have no clue what you’re doing. But if you’ve been trying to get his attention, that’ll mess with his head for sure.” I can’t help laughing out loud.
When we ask God to make us a blessing, He will answer that prayer. And in the answering He makes it clear that we are merely the tool in His hand to accomplish His purposes. It’s not about us. It’s all about Him.
It was only one moment in an airport, but I have to say it’s an amazing feeling to be in His grip.
Here’s praying God will make you a blessing to others. And that you’ll know the pleasure of being in His grip.
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for all people, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”
– Psalm 107:8-9
Todd A. Thompson – April 7, 2009
