Sharing at 35,000 Feet: A Divine Encounter Over Greenland

On my journey back from Delhi, I was ready for rest.
A 15-hour flight? I hoped to stay quiet, sleep, and be left alone.

I found myself wedged into a middle seat near the back of the plane, praying for uninterrupted silence. But after 10 hours of sitting stiff and still, I couldn't take it anymore. I slipped past my sleeping seatmates into the aisle, seeking relief.

Unexpected Beauty—and Conversation

I wandered toward the back of the plane for a short walk. Then I overheard a young woman speaking to a flight attendant:

“It’s beautiful. Do you know where we are?”

Curious, I looked out the small window and saw it—snow-capped mountains, frozen rivers, and radiant blue waters sparkling in the sunlight.

“It is beautiful,” I said aloud.

“We’re flying over Greenland,” the attendant replied.

That moment opened a conversation I never expected to have.

Searching for Purpose at 35,000 Feet

The woman was from Ireland and had just finished three months traveling through Nepal and Thailand. Her reason? She was searching for purpose—wrestling with decisions from her past, including her choice to study law, which had left her feeling unfulfilled.

She was open, thoughtful, and hungry for meaning. And suddenly, I knew exactly why God had allowed our paths to cross.

The Conversation Shifted

“I want to do something that makes no sense,” she said. “Something that may not make any money.”

I responded, “Then you’re already on the right track. Purpose begins when you stop assigning it monetary value.”

I shared how I had left engineering to pursue ministry, and how discovering what I was made for had less to do with what I did and more to do with who I was becoming.

A Moment of Tears, Truth, and Prayer

As I spoke, tears filled her eyes.
She told me she’d been praying to God—asking for answers.

So I gently shared who Jesus is. I explained that passion is found in Him, and that when our lives are rooted in Christ, everything else falls into place.

She said she was finding peace in nature. I agreed—but added, “He made those places. And He speaks through His Word too. If you want to find Him fully, start there.”

We Parted, But God Pursues

We ended the conversation with a prayer. She was on her way to Hawaii, carrying a Bible and a heart cracked open to grace.

We didn’t reconnect after the flight. But I don’t doubt this:
God will chase her down.
And that high-altitude encounter?
It was heaven-sent.