I have a preference when it comes to airlines, and some of you might be able to guess which one it is.  I am on vacation this week, you see.  In fact, I am writing this little memoir to help me pass the time on my flight.  According to my calculations, this is my 11th annual trip to my friend's timeshare in - of all places - Las Vegas.  And yes, we are misfits - we aren't gamblers.  We just like the lazy river at the Tahiti Village, and we like the shows!

 

Here is where you might get a clue as to my favorite airline.  We had a 6:00 am flight this morning (yes ... had to be the airport at 4 a.m. - ugh).  Therefore, I got my iPhone all set up on the airline's website the night before last.  Then I set my alarm for 5:55 a.m. yesterday morning.  And then I waited with my finger poised to press the  "check in" button at the very instant the clock read "6 a.m.".  Immediately, the boarding pass popped up - my position in line was B7.  Whew.  Could've been better, but given the fact that I refuse to ever pay the extra $15 to have my place in line assigned prior to check-in, I was happy.  The goal, of course, is to have your choice of seats.  By the time you get to the "C" boarding group, you see, the only seats left could very well be nothing but single middle seats.

 

And yes, of course the whole process is a bit of a nuisance.  Other airlines assign seats in advance - you can choose them when you purchase your ticket.  But I don't really care about that.  Whenever I have a choice, I will ALWAYS choose this airline (yes - it's Southwest)

 

A couple of years ago, I read an article that spoke about the hiring process and the interview process for potential employees of Southwest Airlines.  The main requirement is personality - it's lightheartedness and it's the ability to be outgoing and even fun-loving.  They only want to hire people who love people.  And it shows.  And yes ... I've been on flights where, prior to the flight, the pilot came out to say hello and to serenade us with his harmonica.  I was once on a flight where a flight attendant entertained us with a stand-up comedy routine.  In other words, it's my overall impression that Southwest employees love what they are doing - which translates into excellent customer service.  I don't even mind the check-in/boarding process - in fact, the informality of it is kind of endearing!

 

So ... I am reminded of hospitality in the church!  It's no secret that we have entered what experts refer to as a "post-Christian" era here in the U.S.  Oh sure, we still have the "Bible belt."  But the Northeast and the Bible belt are world's apart.  Joining or attending a church is no longer a priority for many, many people.  That's why it's our job to be ambassadors for the church of Jesus Christ.  We want to show people how much we love Christ and we love people.  We want to be the reason someone who might otherwise not know Christ decides to explore the faith and to then give their life to Him.  We want to be what Jesus calls "the salt of the earth and the light of the world" - people who love what we are doing, and who let it show.

 

And oh, by the way, my daughter & son-in-law's cruise that was stuck at sea since Saturday because of Irma is finally arriving back in Fort Lauderdale this morning (Tuesday).   Of course, their flight home was cancelled.  But fortunately, the airline was able to book them on one of their first flights out of Fort Lauderdale tonight.  They had no way to check in for their flight, and so for the second time in one day, there I was at precisely 6:50 pm last night with my finger ready to click the "check in" button.  A 43 & A 44.  Yay!!