Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: I SURRENDER ALL (to God) (don’t write about the song) (05/07/15)
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TITLE: Unknown Baggage
By alan kane
05/14/15 -
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I have never been so relieved to touch solid ground again.
We were warmly welcomed by the airfield manager and told to make ourselves at home. We stayed for six hours until the storm passed and we were able to continue on our journey.
As I was about to leave, a truck pulled up and a group of dodgy characters got out. The pilot said, “This does not bode well. Get on the plane!”
One of the characters walked up to me with an obvious bulge where his left inside pocket would be. He unzipped his coat and showed me his official badge. I noticed a gun was poking out of his jacket. In pigeon English he demanded that I follow him to the Customs office.
I really felt uncomfortable about this new development. My cases were dragged from the plane, as well as the pilot’s single bag. His was checked and cleared without a second glance. As they started to meticulously inspect my bags, I noticed a third bag that I know was not on the plane when we set off this morning. My mouth went dry and I went clammy with dread. I prayed for God’s protection over this whole situation.
“Dear God, I am your servant and all I am and have is yours. If I am to go to jail like Paul did to witness to others, I will, even though I have done no wrong. Father, show me your path for my life in this dangerous intersection. Let your will be done.”
I know that in this area of the world, some less scrupulous characters have been known to plant drugs on individuals who they assume will pay a very heavy fine for the whole situation to vanish. The alternative is years in prison or even death by execution; the best situation would be for me to spend the next two years fighting against this travesty of injustice.
When the initial man who had demanded I leave the plane saw my Bible, he just gave a slight smirk. He continued his pretence of searching my bags before going on to this new bag. As he checked my papers, his face dropped. Waving a letter with a look of distain on his face, he shouted, “You know General Merchengers?”
“Yes! He calls me friend.”
At that, my interrogator's face went white... “You go now. Big mistake.”
As I walked out of the office, I see my two bags being carried out to the plane and the third bag remained on the table, not even opened.
As we taxied on the runway and lifted off, I considered the recent events.
Three days ago, I met General Merchengers at the hotel I was speaking at. After two hours of a lengthy but open and frank discussion about faith and the role of Church in society, we went on our way. The next day, he invited me to a small gathering at his palatial home. I spoke to this gathering for most of the day ending with an invite to set up a couple of Christian schools on the islands, with the possibility of opening a few more.
The letter than the official at the airport had waved at me was the General’s personal recommendation and safe passage on any of the islands that his country had influence over.
At cruising altitude, I opened my Bible and read about the Ethopian official. I smiled at the similarities between our two situations.
“Thank you God for such interventions, or I would be now sitting in a flea-invested prison cell.”
Author’s note:
Fiction
The story of Philip and the Ethiopian can be found in Acts 8:26-40
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