How is that Boy Still Alive? #2

‘0.1 kg.’

The attendant and I looked at my bulging baggage and then back at the flashing readout.

“To be completely honest I had sort of expected it to weigh a bit more then that…”

The attendant grinned and started dragging it to the conveyor belt.

“I’m sure … <hurf> … that it’s … <koff> … fine …”

Could this be my answer to staying out of debt?  Would I need anything in those bags during my twenty five hour stop over in Mumbai?  I had underwear, socks and a toothbrush in my carry-on … no razor but I could go a few more days without shaving.

“Can I check them through all the way to North America?”

The attendant stopped in front of the conveyor belt and wiped his brow.

“Sure, I’m actually new to this and haven’t done that before but I know it’s possible … just a second …”

He started fighting with the system to get it to do what he wanted and eventually he seemed happy with his progress.  As I walked away from the ticket counter I decide I was finally ‘on my way’ enough to open an envelope that I had been given by a young woman I had met and told not to open until I had left.  Inside was 1000 rupees and a note telling me Alexis felt God had asked her to give it to me to spend on the trip.

I immediately used 200 of them to splurge on a tuna sub sandwich, a treat available at the airport restaurants that I hadn’t enjoyed for four months.

Mumbai was just as big, busy and confusing as Delhi.  While wandering, I somehow found myself in a ‘customs’ area where I was being asked what I was bringing into India.  This confused me as I wasn’t coming into India.  A man in uniform walked up to me and asked to see my boarding pass.

“This is a domestic flight … you’re only coming from Delhi … what are you doing in here?”

“Um … I truly have no idea.”

He led me through all the security points in less then ten minutes.  He flashed his badge at each barrier until we were close enough that he could point out the exit before walking away.  There was one more security guy there who was checking passports and boarding passes.  However, just as I approached him, a pen fell from his desk and he waved me through without looking at anything as he bent down to pick it up.  I found the taxi to my hotel in record time and left.

At the hotel, I confirmed the rates, that meals were included, and then crashed.  When I woke up I had this strong feeling that there was a particular divine appointment that I wasn’t supposed to miss.  This started to become a source of worry as I feared that making the wrong move could mean missing it.

“Stop worrying! Just enjoy ‘real life to the full’ and walk it out.”

This thought had been a reoccurring theme of my life for the past year.  Whether about health, future, ministry, or relationships … it seemed to be the clearest direction that God was giving me.  As I gave in to this ‘voice’, God’s peace hit me like a ton of bricks, though, granted, somewhat less painfully than I would have expected a ton a bricks to feel.  O.K. So I’m supposed to stop worrying … how does one make sure they don’t miss a divine appointment without worrying about it?  I guess by continuing on the day as normal only keeping ones eyes open.  With nothing else to do, and 800 rupees burning a hole in my pocket, I decided to look for a book shop.

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I really appreciate you allowing me to share this part of my journey with you.  Please leave comments about what “Real life to the full” means to you and how you have either experienced it or searched for it.

Blessings,

Rusty