After our spiritual adventure in California, we were all set to head back to Nigeria. Our journey required a 22-hour layover in Turkey. It sounded like a long wait, but we were prepared—or so we thought.

We had the funds for our transit visas, booked our hotels in advance, and even arranged for airport shuttles to pick us up. Everything seemed meticulously planned to avoid any delays or complications.

But just as we were checking in, a mistake threw everything into chaos. In our rush to reshuffle bags, we accidentally checked our wallets along with our backpacks. Without access to our wallets, we were stranded. And as hindsight would later remind us, we should never have been told to check those bags in the first place.

We arrived in Turkey without a single penny, unable to access the internet to process our e-visas or pay for the lounge to get online. The perfect plan fell apart, and there we were—stuck in an unfamiliar country with no money and no clear path forward.

As if our situation wasn’t enough, we realized we weren’t alone. Many passengers had been stranded because their flights were canceled due to bad weather. But the bigger problem was trying to figure out what to do next in a country where barely anyone spoke English.

It was during this uncertainty that we met an elderly man, probably in his seventies, who was also on his way to Nigeria. He had no idea the transit would be this long and was as confused as we were. While we were focused on fixing our issues, we did our best to assist him, but we didn’t think much of it at first.

It wasn’t until later, after struggling to find solutions and realizing we hadn’t even prayed, that we decided to humble ourselves. Together, we prayed: "Lord, we receive help from heaven. We call on Zion’s resources and we ask for help."

Shortly after, we saw the old man again, wandering past us with a look of confusion. It turned out his wife, also in her seventies, was missing, and he had no idea where she was. He needed help to find her. It became clear to us: after praying for help, God was now calling us to be that help.

At that moment, our priorities shifted. We could no longer focus just on solving our visa problems. This elderly man needed our help, and it was our responsibility to assist him.

We brought him along, reassuring him that we would help find his wife as soon as we sorted out our issues. But that plan didn’t work—he was too anxious to wait, and he desperately needed to be reunited with her.

As we worked on our visas, he wandered the massive airport in search of his wife, and no one could give him clear directions. It wasn’t easy, but we were committed to helping him. Eventually, we sorted out our visas—a whole saga in itself—and then kept our promise to him. We helped him find his wife, assisted them with their visas, and made sure they got safely to their hotel.

The entire ordeal took six hours, but during that time, something unexpected happened. We met other stranded travelers who also needed help and direction. For the next several hours, we became the go-to people at the airport, offering assistance to anyone who needed it.

Through all of this, I kept hearing the Lord speak to my heart: "You asked for help, now you be the help. Become the answer to someone else's prayer." It hit me that our prayer for help wasn’t just about us receiving it; it was about us being the solution to others. God had set up this entire experience as a test of love.

He also reminded me of another prayer I had been praying for a long time: "Lord, change my heart. Help me love more deeply."

At that moment, I realized that this layover was an opportunity to practice that love, to live it out in real life.

The Bible says, "Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law" (Romans 13:10, NLT).

Our love for others, even when we're not obligated to help, reflects our love for God. And it dawned on me that this situation was training us to love with intention.

This experience taught me that it’s not enough to pray for God to help us love others—we must be ready to practice it when given the opportunity. God doesn't overwhelm us with joy or a sudden desire to be patient or kind. Instead, He provides situations that challenge us to manifest these traits, leaving the decision to us.

The real question is: how deeply do we desire to love?

Are we willing to let God’s standards of love and care for others rise above our convenience, plans, or even human moral codes?

As I reflect on that layover in Turkey, I see it as more than just a difficult travel experience.

It was a moment of divine training in love—a reminder that love isn’t just something we feel or pray for; it’s something we do, often in the most unexpected places. And through helping others, I found myself loving God even more.

The next time you find yourself in an uncomfortable or challenging situation, ask yourself: is this an opportunity to be the love of God to someone else?

Because often, when we ask God for help, He’s waiting for us to be the answer to someone else’s prayer.