Chapter 35 - Moments of Margin
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CHAPTER 28 - MOMENTS OF MARGIN
HOW MIGHT CREATING TIME MARGIN INCREASE YOUR CAPACITY TO GIVE?
“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”
—Proverbs 11:25 NLT
I was traveling from New York to California for the holidays. While I was standing in the security line at the airport, a woman stepped into the queue. It was hard to miss her because
her baby was screaming at the top of his lungs. As I stood in line, churning through what seemed like hundreds of work emails on my cell phone, my thought was, Why doesn’t she just pick him up?
I continued working for a minute or two, but the screams inten- sified. I put my phone in my pocket to investigate what was going on. When I looked closer, I saw why she couldn’t pick the baby up. She had a purse, a baby carrier, a stroller base, and a small suitcase in her arms. I looked at her face and saw she was nearing her breaking point.
The agents ignored the baby and kept checking passports. I kept an eye on the mom, hoping they’d let her through, but no luck. Her eyes welled up a bit as she dropped a few things while bending down to pick up the baby, who was now screaming even louder.
At this point I walked over and picked up the suitcase and stroller base. I said to her, “Don’t worry. I’ll carry these two items for you.”
Fifteen minutes later, the line continued to inch toward security at a snail’s pace. By this time, the baby was inconsolable.
Behind us, a gentleman spoke up and said to the mom, “I know exactly how you feel. I have a two-year-old and a three-year-old. I recently traveled with both of them to Singapore. I promise it’ll be okay.”
He then asked her about her flight departure time. She said, “At this point, I don’t think I’m going to make it. My flight leaves in twenty minutes.”
He said, “Oh no, these people will let you through. You will not miss your flight today!”
Like a knight in shining armor, he stormed through the line, baby seat overhead as he pushed her to the front. I had to follow because, at this point, I was the bag carrier! Finally, at security screening, we rushed to unpack her stuff. I was deep in her bag, digging through diapers and pulling out laptops while simultaneously unpacking my carry-on so we could get through as quickly as possible. Now it’s fifteen minutes until departure!
We got through security in record time. I realized her gate was quite a distance away. Ten minutes to departure. At this stage, she thought I would leave her, so she started to break down a little, and I said to her, “Don’t worry, my gate is on the way. I’ll stay with you until you get on the plane.”
At that moment, we heard an announcement: “Flight 104 to Miami, final boarding call; please make your way to the gate.” Five minutes to departure.
Picture this: two grown women huffing and puffing, barreling through the airport, bags and screaming baby in tow! We had no choice but to run across the terminal, down an escalator, across again, up another escalator. We were a sight!
When we reached the top of the second escalator, she started to run again but was exhausted by the baby’s weight.
I said to her, “Don’t worry, I’ll run to the gate for you!”
I took off running to Gate 35, thinking to myself, “Why does it have to be so far away?”
I finally made it to the gate. The attendants tried to whisk me on board. I was so out of breath I could barely talk. Gasping, I said, “No, it’s not me. It’s a lady with her baby. They’re coming now.”
Within ninety seconds the lady and baby arrived. When she realized she would make the flight, she started to cry. She asked my name, hugged me, and with tears streaming down her face said, “Thank you so much!”
Mission accomplished!
As I watched her make her way down the jetway, my exhaustion melted away. I felt at peace. My plan for the afternoon was to use all my spare time in the security line and at my gate for emails and calls, but God had another plan. However, I’d almost missed it because of my busyness.
Life is hectic. With our long to-do lists, we have zero “margin” (breaks you intentionally create in your day). When you think about it, doesn’t that feel like a creative trap of the enemy? To keep you so busy and overwhelmed you don’t have time to be God’s hands to those around you?
When we are generous with our time and resources, not only will God favor us, but He will also bless others through us. In Chapter 34, we were reminded that life happens and changes in moments. As we close this reading, consider how you can create more moments of margin in your life to be a walking, talking, practical blessing every day.
Prayer
Dear Father,
Thank You for this reminder to slow down. most days, there’s so much to do I’m blind to the needs of those around me, even in my own home. Help me stop surviving the busyness and thrive in moments of margin so I can be Your hands and share Your love.
Amen.
Meet The Author
Leah JM Dean is a bestselling author, speaker, coach, and trusted advisor to organizations and leaders across the globe. She is also Founder and CEO of Conduit International Ltd., a professional and personal development solutions company dedicated to helping organizations, leaders, and women work smarter, live well, and foster meaningful connections. A self-proclaimed recovering workaholic, Leah is passionate about helping her clients find strategies to optimize their work, invest in their wellbeing, and make a lasting impact on the lives of those they touch. To learn more about the book Be Different and pick up your copy, visit https://www.leahjmdean.com/be-different
