Planes Trains and Automobiles

Several weeks ago, we took a quick trip to Sydney that we won't forget soon. It's only an hour’s flight, practically in our back yard if you’re in an airplane.  

Did you ever see that 1987 movie, " Planes, Trains and Automobiles"? It comes to mind as I write.

After church on Sunda, we packed our things, said a heartfelt “Thank you” to our daughter, whose past employment for Qantas still gives us “standby” status to fly really cheaply.

Now, "Standby" means exactly what it says. After the plane has boarded, after full-time employees have boarded and after they, at least to our imagination, comb the airport terminal to see if there be ANYONE else who might want to go to Sydney, then we’re given a ticket and allowed to get on.

The problem is, Qantas (and just about every other airline these days) has gotten very efficient at loading a plane to capacity. Add to that a few cancelled flights for bad weather, and our chances for getting on dropped from “ain’t likely” to a snowball’s chance in that very hot place we preach about.

What started as a smug stride up to the desk at 1 PM, ended about 8 hours later having to BUY a ticket for the last two seats with a competing airline.... over the counter (not recommended).

Throughout the day, on three occasions, we had been ticketed, cleared for security and then called BACK to the terminal as our standby seats were taken.  In text conversation with my daughter, she even sweetly suggested that we may be getting too old to take our chances with standby (Ouch!).

OK ...so finally we arrived in Sydney, desperate to drag our suitcases to a hotel we had already paid for.  We jumped on the last train from the airport and arrived at our closest station at ONE A.M.

Up the stairs and out the station to pitch black streets littered with the inert forms of homeless people.  I was on the urge of freaking out when this lovely angel who I must admit looked like "Mr. Clean", if any of you remember him.  Anyway, he asked us something to the effect of what we were THINKING to be in this part of town at this time of night?

Then he led us up a different exit and pointed us to our hotel, which miraculously happened to be right across the street. A nice enough place, just not an area where you’d want to go outside after dark.

Into the lobby we straggled and were greeted by a wonderful young man who gave us a key and wished us good night. With the clock pushing toward 2:00 AM, Tony turned the key and pushed on the door to our room, only to hear the muffled sounds of a voice in the darkness.

Backing out with apologies, we went back down to the lobby to share our plight with a very confused  clerk, whom we'd worked out is Nepalese. We said, "No worries, just give us the room that he should be in and we'll take that one"

Problem was, the hotel was completely full, and the clerk didn’t know how to know which room was empty! Furthermore, with his limited English, he didn't know how to tell us what the problem was, and with us just saying it over and over, "Give us HIS room!" it didn't help his anxiety level.

The situation clarified a few minutes later when a dishevelled man stumbled out of the elevator, angry at first, then as confused as the rest of us. He did admit to going into the wrong room by mistake, but HOW did his key open our door?

Lessons on traveling........  Always open your allotted room with caution and learn to enjoy life's surprises.  (He did give us HIS key for the room he should have been in and everyone settled down). 

Now this is the place where I would put in an appropriate spiritual application, but I think I’ll leave that to you, Dear Reader.

How about Isaiah? “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.” (Isaiah 32:18)

If nothing else, this verse tells me that, even back in those times, people longed for a safe place to lay their heads. And here’s the altar call: God’s children will know such a place for all eternity.

Just don’t try to fly standby.

Hope you have a smooth week, we will do our best to as well. 

Marsha