Recently, I went on a trip that required airplane travel. When I boarded the bus to get from the parking lot to the terminal, there was a Delta flight captain already sitting in the back of the bus. He had a clear view of everyone as they made their way onto the bus, struggling with their luggage and trying not to trip over each other. I was the last to board from the group. Instead of watching all the people in front of me, I watched the captain as he sized up each person boarding the bus. He was watching—not in a bad way. For each person, he had a smile.

Have you ever looked at someone and they just look grumpy? You can tell, can’t you? Not this man. He had a consistent smile on his face as each person stepped onto the bus. His smile would grow wider with each passing passenger. Some folks would look at him, and his smile would become larger as he smiled back at them. Others wouldn’t give him the time of day, but he would still look them over and smile. After all the passengers boarded, the man relaxed and guess what he did? He smiled. 😊

As I watched this man, I wondered: Is this what he does as each passenger boards his plane? Do they teach this at flight school? Is this an airline thing? Is this just a Delta thing they teach their pilots? Was he a former Navy pilot? Where did he get this seemingly natural behavior? Or was he just a really nice guy? Maybe he is a Christian?

Here is my perception of how this man is received by others: If you see this man and you are angry or frustrated, he will smile at you—not to laugh at you, but because he wants you to smile as well. Maybe you see his smile and it changes your attitude. If you see this man and you are happy, maybe his smile encourages you all the more; like it did for me!

There is a really long debate about: Not all nice people are Christians, but all Christians should be nice people.

My hope is that this man is not just a nice guy who learned how to smile at each and every passenger as they board his plane. My hope is that this man is not just taking a lesson he learned from Delta Airlines training and displaying it during his personal journey on his way to work.

My hope is that he is my Christian brother, smiling at me just because he is my Christian brother. My hope is that he is smiling just because Jesus smiles. My hope is that when I smiled back at him and said good morning, he knew that I, too, was his Christian brother.

Watch the hope happen! SMILE!