Let’s do a feel-good story about an alert NFL tight end, Mark Andrews of the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens, top-rated team in their conference, were favored to win over the Kansas City Chiefs and advance to the Super Bowl Sunday, January 25. The Ravens lost, and on Thursday, Mark found himself flying home on a Southwest Airlines plane from Baltimore to Phoenix.

ESPN picks up the story:

About three hours into the flight, passengers noticed a woman sitting in the middle of the plane had a medical issue…she was in and out of consciousness and was quickly being attended to by a doctor and nurse who were also passengers…the woman’s heart rate, pulse and blood pressure were extremely low.

After hearing the doctor and nurse ask the woman numerous questions, Andrews popped up from his aisle seat and asked if they knew if her blood sugar was low.

Andrews showed the doctor and nurse how to administer the finger prick test kit. They then gave her orange juice, which helped her get through the remaining 90 minutes of the flight. The woman was able to walk off the flight. – Jamison Hensley, ESPN, February 1, 2024

In a statement released by the Ravens, Mark deflected accolades to others:

In addition to the fast-acting flight attendants, the real heroes are the nurse and doctor who also happened to be on the plane. Thankfully, they were able to provide the woman the quick assistance she needed.

Humility aside, it was apparent to some of the other passengers that it was Mark’s contribution of his diabetic testing kit that saved the day. It’s a classic example of “Be there, pay attention, do what you can,” which are three of four main points in my book Join the Adventure.

But beyond that, I’m excited about the way God took care of that lady:

• If the Ravens had won their game, Mark wouldn’t have been on that plane. He would have been preparing for the Super Bowl.
• Mark is 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 256 pounds. His base salary in 2023 was $7.5 million. If I were that big and made that much money, I think I’d be flying with an airline that offered first-class seats.
• Finally, it would be hard to “be there, pay attention” if you’d just lost a chance to be in the Super Bowl. Some of us might be having a pity party.

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man… (John 9.1, NKJV)

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him. (Luke 5.27, NIV)