Dear Team Members,
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I wanted to touch base with you ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday and send each of you my warmest wishes for a safe and peaceful Thanksgiving. Knowing that many of our co-workers are sacrificing parts of the holiday, away from their family and friends to keep our airline flying for our passengers, is always humbling. I am very grateful that we have such dedicated employees. No one likes being away from home during a holiday, and I don’t want to let this sacrifice go unrecognized.* We really appreciate the sacrifice, and I personally want to say thank you!
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When we think about why we even have a “Thanksgiving” we recall the story of the Mayflower and the hardship endured by the pilgrims during their first winter in the new world. The pilgrims’ survival rested in the hands of a few generous Native Americans who provided food and assistance. In return, the pilgrims wanted to devote a day to stop and focus on how thankful they were for the sacrifice and generosity of these strangers in a new world. Providing thanks reminds me of a recent experience I had traveling on one of our flights.
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Not too long ago, I was non-revving from IND to ORD to do the “Ice Bucket Challenge.”* When I arrived at the gate, I was given the all too familiar story that the flight was oversold and I most likely would not get a seat. I sat down and waited for them to finish boarding, all the while wondering how I was going to reschedule everything if I didn’t get on.* Luckily, I was able to get on the flight, and I must admit I was a little frustrated by the process that so many of our employees experience non-revving for business. Replaying the frustration and anxiety of the boarding process in my mind, I was pleasantly surprised that my seat assignment -- the last seat on the plane -- placed me next to a Catholic bishop from Nigeria.
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As you might expect, my seat assignment turned out to be a real blessing. During the flight, he told me about the desperate situations he was confronted with on a daily basis in his country, and yet he seemed so happy. I asked him how he was able to maintain such a positive attitude under such difficult circumstances. He said it was simple: Every day he focuses on all his blessings, and he gives thanks to God for all of them. He said the source of his comfort was just to maintain a sense of gratitude for all the*little things*in his life that he used to take for granted. Then he pulled out something that resembled a rosary, but it actually was like four rosaries strung together (creating over 200 prayer beads).* He asked me to join him in his daily prayer of gratitude. It was simple: On every bead we just prayed “thank you, Jesus”… a total of 200 times!
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Maintaining a healthy daily prayer life can be a real struggle at times, but here was a simple way to take stock of how blessed I am, every day, and to thank God for allowing me to live in this day. For me it sure puts my days into a proper perspective.
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One final story I will leave you with. As many of you know our leadership team has been out on the road conducting employee Town Hall meetings during the past three weeks.* Last Wednesday night, I was about to board a flight from ORD to SDF, when I received a call from my wife Maria saying we had an emergency with one of our sons. So I changed my plans to get on the next available flight back to IND. The weather was bad, flights were late and oversold, and I learned it would be several hours before I could get on a flight home. I know our crew members can relate with how helpless you feel when you have a family member in need and you are still hours away from home.
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Almost exactly at that very moment I received my daily prayer meditation email.* Maria had signed me up for this service several months ago, but I have to admit, if I read them three days a week I was doing good. But on this particular evening I felt compelled to read and pray the daily meditation in the midst of chaos (Click the accompanying attachment if you are interested in reading the email message I received November 19 from Regnum Christi).
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It is amazing how God can work in our lives if only we allow Him to be a part of our daily activities. So as we enter the holidays we are reminded of all that we have to be thankful and grateful for. I am personally grateful for so many blessings big and small, and I am especially grateful for all of you.
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May God bless you and your families this holiday season.
Bryan
#sermon #fail #paypilotsalivingwage #whywouldanyonewillinglyworkhere #paidinblessingsnotmoney #youshouldbegratefultoflya175