My family and I were in a taxi, making our way to Guarulhos International Airport (São Paulo, Brazil) a couple of days ago. Although we flew in on the same flight, our return flight to London was scheduled at different hours. My family’s flight was scheduled for 2:30 pm and my flight was scheduled for 7:15 pm the same day, meaning I’d wait for some hours. 

Although I’ve been flying in and out as an expatriate for two decades now, there is something still unbearable about leaving our homeland: saying goodbye to the ones that we love. And, this trip, specifically, was not a holiday; it was a family emergency.

On that note, I wasn’t feeling very cheerful on that day, but I kept it in, as I usually do, and didn’t mention a word to anyone. 

In the taxi, my mother said: Tici, what if you try asking the airline to move you to our flight, so we can go together? She said that so confidently (never doubt the mother’s instinct). 

I thought that was not going to be possible since I know some companies do not offer this free of charge, nor have the flexibility, and it’s a request completely based on availability. So I tried, and the response was negative; the flight was full.

Okay. 

I moved to another counter (I’m quite persistent) and approached another agent, a young man, “Boa tarde, would you mind checking and possibly placing me on an earlier flight, please?” His all-hands-on-deck attitude spoke millions. “Of course, in fact, we only have ONE seat available, which is 29A, a window seat.” Amazed, I replied: “That’s awesome, I’d love that then, please do your magic, and thank you so much.” 

That made me a bit more cheerful. Although I wasn’t going to fly with my family, at least I was conveniently boarding earlier AND landing earlier.

Well, the story does not just end here. My new flight was scheduled for 2:10 pm; it was 12:35 pm, and I still needed to go through security checks and Fed authorities. So I quickly updated my family on the new flight details (my mother was super pleased!) and I rushed on. 

Soon, I boarded the plane and took my seat at 29A, the perfect window seat. Then, a young Spanish gentleman approached. “¿Hablas Español?” I nodded, ¿Te molestaría cambiar con mi novia?” He was asking me to move seats so his girlfriend could sit with him. 

The seat layout for that aircraft, to clarify, was A-B, C-D-E-F, G-H. His seat was 29B, and his beloved girlfriend, 27B. 

I generally try not to decline little favours, but this time, I felt like I should. And a couple of reasons and explanations crossed my mind within seconds to justify my reason for declining it, but I just said that I preferred staying in my original seat: 29A. I then kindly suggested he ask another passenger to swap, and he did it.

Guess what? It worked. They sat together! An elderly man agreed to move seats. So, who sat next to me? Nobody. It was free! Yeeha!

This made me reflect on the times that we tell God things our heart desires. But there are times (most of them) that we DO NOT even need to tell Him. He moves things around for us. Be it little things or not, He does. 

In our human ways, we make plans, but God comes and shows us that He has more than plans; He has purpose, whether it is gifting you with the window seat just to make your day brighter. If the Creator of the entire universe controls every single atom, dust, deep seas, and infinite galaxies, what would not he do for us?!

I praise God for landing safely, feeling immense gratitude and reflecting on these verses composed around the 6th century BCE, which remain very much alive and relevant to this very day.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”… “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55:8-9

I understand that it is considerate to swap seats, and I have done so in the past. However, I have also come to understand that when God, by his grace, presents you with an opportunity, it’s important to honour it. So, keep your position. Sit tight. Stay where you are. Enjoy the view. His blessings will continue to flow, one after another – even those things you never imagined experiencing.

I invite you to embrace this wonderfully gentle love from above, and I promise you won’t be let down.

There is so much He can do, whether little things and who knows, the next time, a first-class seat?

Everything is possible 🙂

All blessings, 

Tici.