Please indulge me. This Ray’s Rule is going to be very different than any other.

I had an incredible experience Saturday on my way home from London. I was able to catch an early flight so I was not supposed to be on the plane and I was lucky enough to get an aisle seat and not be stuck in the middle seat.

A man sat next to me, but before we took off, the flight attendant asked the man to move so that a 16 year old young lady on crutches could sit next to me. We were on the bulkhead. They then asked me if I would move to a window seat (we were on the side of
the plane with 2 seats) so she could sit on the aisle. Why didn’t they just ask me to move to another row and not the man sitting on the aisle? The answer became clear as I chatted with this young lady.

Divine intervention was at work. This young lady was destined to sit next to me. Here is the story.

I asked her if she had torn an ACL in her knee. She told me that her leg was an artificial leg. She told me that she had been riding with a drunk driver and was thrown from the car and the car landed on her leg. She then told me that her leg was infected in the hospital and it had to be amputated above the knee. I asked her if she were going home and she said that she lived with her father that was an alcoholic and she was visiting her mother. She further told me that her mom’s husband was a pervert and that is
why she was not living with her mother whom she dearly loved. She also told me that kids at school made fun of her because of her leg.

She then said “I don’t know why I am telling you all this.” I will not share with you everything I said to her, but suffice it to say that it was one of the most memorable, meaningful conversations I have ever had. I will tell you that I did tell her that bad things happen to good people and that sometimes you cannot control what happens to you. However, you can control how you respond to what happens to you.

Count your blessings. This lovely young lady has a mountain to climb and has more to deal with than anyone should at such an early age. I hope and pray that she makes it.

Posted in Ray's Rules by Ray Leone on November 24, 2009.