Overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit … In the Airport Security Line?
When was the last time you felt truly loved? Not just loved by a girlfriend or boyfriend, or by family and friends, but completely and wholly loved and accepted - beyond measure, beyond what you deserved, and beyond explanation? Our friend Alex shares an incredible story of what it feels like to experience God’s overwhelming love and grace in the most unexpected of times and places.
It was the end of a bad week. Lots of personal failures and feeling so far from meeting the mark. Felt like God was calling me to be so much more and I failed once again.
I had to catch an 8am flight at LAX. I went out hard the night before and woke up at 7:59. I started freaking out – I had to make my flight and get to my destination. I fly a lot and I always make the effort to get to the airport on time. Even this time, I had my routine down, boarding pass done the day before, had my carry-on ready, I was ready to roll. Except I woke up as my flight was taking off because I went partying too long the night before. I was already feeling like a complete failure, now I was a complete failure who missed his flight. “I am such a tool”, I thought to myself.
I got to the airport about 30 minutes after my flight had left. When I got there I never saw a line as big. It was not a holiday or any weather – it was just a lot of people. I got even more discouraged. I started to wait in line. Texted the people who were waiting for me at the destination: “Missed my flight – waiting in line – will see what happens”. The line between me and the counter lasted a total of 45 minutes to 1 hour.
During this entire time, I just kept praying…[click ”Read More” below to continue]
It wasn’t one of the best prayers, actually it was pretty bad – my prayer was: “Lord, I am such a failure. I can’t do anything right. I’m sorry God, have mercy on me”. It’s important to understand that this had been a rough week for me. And the sad part was that I had control over everything, I just chose to be far from God. It was only 45 minutes but it felt like forever.
I was completely convicted, felt like crap. Finally I got to the end of the line, got on the next flight (Praise God!) and moved over to the next line – the security line where they check your boarding pass, before the real security line.
As I am waiting in this line (which was also HUGE!) I started praying again. All of the sudden I was surrounded by a feeling I can’t explain or describe. All I can tell you is that it was an amazing feeling. It was a feeling similar to the feeling I had as a young boy coming home from school with a bad grade and totally expecting my parents to be angry and instead they were understanding and encouraging. It was that same feeling of love. Magnified. Magnified exponentially.
It was so strong I started to choke up. I don’t remember last time I had tears. Especially not in security lines at the airport! I couldn’t help it or explain it, I just experienced it – and it was amazing. I now know that that was God’s love, just being poured on me. I was the bad child who failed and God was my father who loved me and was loving on me at that very second. Telling me everything’s okay and no matter how much I thought I sucked – He still loves me.
The next thing that happened really blew my mind. As I’m waiting in line, choking up, a man hands me a piece of paper. It was a flier from a local church, with some passages on it. Now I fly at this airport A LOT – and this has NEVER happened. Nobody ever gave me a flier about God here. Except today was different.
First passage I read: “Whosoever is born of God is convicted of their sins” (1 John 3:9) – That was ME! Completely convicted. The whole 45 minutes I was waiting in line that’s what I was doing – feeling convicted. Second passage I read: “the Lord is faithful and just to forgive” (1 John 1:9) – That was GOD! And that was EXACTLY what I needed to hear!
I was convicted, I confessed my sins and God was faithful and forgiving. The whole feeling I was experiencing was God forgiving me and loving me. And it felt so good! Next passage I read: “Anyone born of God does not continue to sin” (1 John 5:18). That WILL BE ME. I believe in Christ. I don’t need to sin. It’s done. Yes, I have failed, I probably will fail along the way, but my faith is in Christ. He will guide my paths and pick me up along the way.
So, there I was, in a security line, in one of the largest airports in the world, completely surrounded by God’s love, experiencing a HUGE hug from the Holy Spirit and getting God’s word literally handed to me on a piece of paper that speaks directly to me. Needless to say after this whole experience by the time I got to the security agent I was trying really hard to man up and stop choking up. That’s okay, it felt really good to simply experience God’s incredible love.
Every day I live, I believe more and more that there are NO coincidences with God, no mistakes, no accidents. It’s just His perfect plan and His perfect timing. And I am so happy that is so. Psalm 103 speaks perfectly to this:
Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children-
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.
God bless,
Alex
