Saw Something Wonderful Today…
http://newvision2012.weebly.com/-10-countries-with-female-soldiers.html
I am traveling today. Which means I was up way before the sun, shaved, showered, downed some quick breakfast, loved on the Gang of 5, kissed Susie goodbye, checked seventy three times to insure I had my passport, drove an hour to the airport, finally convinced myself to pay the extra money to park in the garage, noticed after the nearly three mile trek to check-in that I had once again packed way too much crap, and after taking off various clothing while thinking how absolutely barbaric the whole security thing is, finally made it to my gate with exactly two hours and three minutes before my flight departs.
Now what to do?
One of my favorite pass-times is to watch people and the airport is one of the very best places to do it. This morning I got to gawk at everyone from a twenty something guy wearing a pair of well worn boots, slacker jeans, hoodie, and an International Harvester tractor hat to a woman wearing Chanel haute couture talking to someone on her cell phone about the latest Bulgari fragrance. As I looked around at my fellow travelers, my mind began to wonder what kind of people they were. Were they kind? How do they make a living? What were there thoughts? If we could talk, what would I learn from them?
The call came over the PA system for all first class passengers (which I am not one of) to prepare to board. To be honest my eyes and mind were still in the people oogling mode, but I suddenly became aware of a well tailored gentleman who oozed confidence, style, and power stepping out of the line and making his way toward where I was sitting. He stopped in front of a young black woman who was dressed head to toe in the desert camo uniform of the United States Army. He knelt in front of her extending his boarding pass and with a silky smooth voice said, “Thank you for your willingness to serve our country. How about you take my first class seat?”
I shed nearly as many tears as she did.
Be encouraged!
LifeRevelation 
Yet another great ending. Thanks, Steve.
Hey, I’m just glad you enjoyed it… thanks for all of your support Jane…be encouraged!
Now THAT is an awesome travel story..
It was wonderful…thanks for taking the time to write…I appreciate you…be encouraged!
Wow! Just wow with tears running down my cheeks. Thank you!
That is so touching ! ! !
It was a beautiful moment…be encouraged!
Beautiful!!!
Thanks…be encouraged!
🙂
Thanks…be encouraged!
🙂
There are angels among us… 🙂
Yes there are…and thank you Angel for taking the time to write…be encouraged!
‘checked seventy three times to insure I had my passport’
yep. I hear U.
‘favorite pass-times is to watch people and the airport’
me too.
WOW. how fabulous.
such Grace.
G.
Yeah!…what is it with that whole passport thing…you would think I was bringing in a couple of kilos from Bogota the way I fidget, check, fidget, recheck, ad naseum…thanks for taking the time to drop me a note…be encouraged!
I need to take the time more.
Gav.
What an amazing thing to see! Thanks for sharing this.
Reblogged this on Back On The Rock and commented:
Some blogs just gotta be reblogged.
beautiful ! this story is a message, a sign ! you are encouraging the others ! be encourage you are doing it well !many blessings to you 🙂
Thank you Sandra…I deeply appreciate your kind words…be encouraged!
wow.. beautiful.. wonderful. It’s a beautiful world. 🙂 I am encouraged!
Glad to hear you enjoyed the post…it was a truly wonderful moment…be encouraged!
You got me in tears with this one! Great story 🙂 Beautiful! Thank you! xoxo
Well I’m simply thankful you enjoyed it…hopefully we’ll get to share more…be encouraged!
What a beautiful story, it gave me so much joy to read it. I love airports, watching people arriving and leaving. Sometimes I make up stories about them, I can write a whole novel in my head but not on paper, :). I never worry about my passport, but always about how much overweight I have… Where are you going? Warm regards from Fiji
Hi Marianne, I’m in Toronto…15 inches of snow forecasted for this evening…probably just hang at the hotel tomorrow…much love…be encouraged!
I’ve gotten so used to the warm climate in Fiji, I think 28 degrees celsius is a bit cold now a days, :). Take care in Toronto!
We should move to Fiji…I could use a warm ocean breeze right about now…be encouraged!
Stephen, since our last “conversation” it has been raining non-stop. Parts of the country is about to be flooded, but it is still warm… Sending a warm breeze your way, :).
I think since our last conversation it has snowed everyday…I’ll trade you…lol…be encouraged!
I can only agree with you, :).
Hope all is well…or getting well…much love and many blessings to you from Susie and I and, of course, the Gang of 5…be encouraged!
LOVE this Stephen! I’m always a fan of the posts you write personally, but this really touched me… sniff, sniff. I often go up and thank military personnel, when I see them in the airport. That, however, is a beautiful thing you witnessed! Bravo Mr wealthy guy in a nice suit! Thanks for sharing. Smile for the day.
I wish everyone could have witnessed this moment…the gentleman was so suave, a true fashion plate, with every hair in place, who just oozed money…no one saw it coming…and unless you were near you wouldn’t have noticed anything happening, except she suddenly burst into tears and he wrapped her in his arms…they both embraced for what seemed like several minutes then he offered his handkerchief and led her to the head of boarding line…never once did he look up to see if people were acknowledging what he was doing…he kept his head down and focused entirely on the young lady…and one more thing…I chose not to mention this in my post, because I wasn’t sure about bringing this angle into it…but he was white and she was black…which in my book makes even more special…be encouraged!
I found the entire story very moving. Thanks for sharing it Stephen. 🙂
I’m so grateful you enjoyed it…and while I have written that comment frequently, I have meant it each time…be encouraged!
Reblogged this on Tales from the Motherland and commented:
I generally don’t reblog posts, mine or others. I leave other people’s posts to them. However, I am in deep recovery from the Oscars and not only skipped my post yesterday, but slinked out of Friday’s too. Then I read this post, By Stephen over at LifeRevelation. I follow his blog because it is an encouraging blog that often gives me a lift. Today, it made me smile outright, and my dark circled, puffy eyes, teared up. A short, very inspiring post, until I return tomorrow. Check it out.
AND, I just reblogged YOU on Tales From the Motherland… turning the table on the master reblogger! 🙂 Have a great day, and stay inspired!
You are so kind…thank you very much…I am honored and humbled to have you choose one of my posts for reblogging…you are wonderful…be encouraged!
Says the really wonderful guy! You are very welcome Stephen… as post well worth sharing!
“The really wonderful guy”…you just don’t know me very well…hahaha…much love and many blessings…have a wonderful evening…be encouraged!
I too am an avid ‘people’ watcher and wonder about their lives etc…This was a wonderful story…Diane
Thanks Diane…I am glad you enjoyed it…be encouraged!
People watching is especially fun at an airport. People are so busy they don’t notice anyone is watching. What a touching moment in time to wittness. Memories such as these never leave us. Two lives intersected for only seconds but they were also changed for all eternity. We can all make differences every day for others that may go unnoticed by everyone except the one whose life has been changed. Sometimes I end my emails…Have a wonderful day, make a difference if you can, for you never get the chance…to live this day again. Blessings everyone to your day also!! Susie (but..I do miss my husband)
Hi Honey…I miss you so much…I look forward to getting home to you and the Gang of 5…and thank you for all your kind words…you are the one true best…I love you…you are my encouragement. xoxoxo
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Thank you…be encouraged!
That’s awesome. Thanks for sharing such a great story.
…and thank you for thinking it was awesome…much love and many blessings…be encouraged!
As an Army wife and Air Force mom, I shed some tears reading this! Yay! There are still kind-hearted people in this world! Thank you for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it Lynne…had no idea you are so well connected to our armed services…in our family our youngest son was leaving for Afghanistan (Army-photo journalist) as I was sitting in the airport…much love and many blessings to you and yours…be encouraged!
Wow. These moments would make me shed a tear or two. Or a bucketful. Its amazing acts like that still exist.
It is why we continue to work encouraging people…because literally anything is possible…be encouraged!
this made me cry……
It has several of us…his low key approach to the situation was a true blessing…no ego or pride involved, only humility and honor toward the one he was serving…be encouraged!
What a wonderful thing. There is still so much good in human nature.
There is…but we still need to be working and encouraging those who have yet to see the light…be encouraged!
wow – Gotta admit teared me up. What a wonderful, wonderful story my brother, made my day. Thanks for being my blessing Darrell
I’m just the messenger…the real harbinger of grace was the gentleman who was so generous and humble…I learned a lot in that moment…be encouraged!
You may be just the messenger, but you chose to message out there.
Great stuff, Stephen 🙂
Thanks Noeleen, you really are far too kind to me, but I deeply appreciate all your kind words and support…much love and many blessings to you and Daniel…be encouraged!
That was an awesome story, Stephen. So special when one can say ‘I never saw that coming’. I didn’t, and the ending made me gasp. Thank goodnes there are people in this world who can think and do beyond what we would expect. Thanks for that!
Thank you for all your kind and gracious words…now if we can only become that type of person…the one who can “do beyond what we expect.”…I’ve got my work cut out for me…lol…be encouraged!
I’m catching up 🙂
This was such an inspirational story. I love to watch people, too, and ask the same questions you do while watching them…Like you said, the challenge now would be what we should do to show our appreciation to someone else, especially the “least and unnoticed” of our “neighbours”…
Thanks for sharing this.
Warmly,
Mary
HI Mary, You are right regarding what the challenge is now…many people have written wonderful comments and encouragements as a result of this post, but I was kind of hoping to hear stories about what people did to make life a little easier, better, or more fulfilling for someone else…you never know…maybe they did and didn’t want to toot their own horn…thanks for taking the time to write…I really appreciate it…be encouraged!
As the mother of a son who served in the Army and National Guard I was taken by how kind this one man was. It gives me hope for our youth returning.
A wonderful moment to be sure…now I’m on the look-out for how I might be gracious…thanks for writing…be encouraged!
I love hearing stories like that. 🙂
I am grateful you enjoyed it…now tomorrow after we leave church how about all of us look for little things God may put in our way or bring to our attention whereby we may be an instrument of blessing to someone…be encouraged!