A Saga that brings Hope

My Life Is Over I have become a little old man. I was to fly to Florida to do some work. I did not bring a suitcase. I carried three shoulder bags. One of the bags contained my computer, my iPad, and wallet/money. I got through security and then onto the Denver tram to take me to terminal C. I got off the tram, and walked the long corridor to my gate. I had a great Southwest boarding number. I am an "A List" guy now. So I was going to get a good seat and storage for my three shoulder bags. I decided to take out my wallet and money and put those things into my pockets for the trip. I took off one shoulder bag, and then another. I looked down. I have three bags. Where is bag number 3, with computer, iPad and wallet/money/credit cards? I felt around my back. No bag. I did not go crazy and scream or throw a fit. I went into shock. My life is over. I am not going to Florida or anywhere. I don't even have money to get back to Boulder from the Denver airport. I hurried back to the bathroom to see if I left the bag there. Fat chance. No bag. I went back to the Southwest gate counter to cancel my reservation so that I would not lose use of the ticket. A man in front of me was taking forever with the one Southwest agent at the counter. God is punishing me. I have been bad. But then I am praying to said God and St. Anthony, Mary and all my saints...to be continued

Lost Life

OK you came back for the rest of the drama. Suddenly, as hope was leaking away from my psyche, a second agent came to the counter and asked if she could help me. I said, "I cannot get onto this plane. I lost my bag." She was sympathetic, cancelled my reservation and put me on standby for a much later flight. I am not going to Florida, I thought to myself, not today or even this month. But the agent said something to me that I would not have otherwise done, though I had no real plan, beyond go to security and find lost and found. She said, "Don't go all the way back to the main terminal. Go back to the first plane terminal, "A" so that you don't go outside security. Then you can go to security from there." OK, though I was not hearing all of what she said, being in shock, and having cardiac issues. I walked back up the long corridor and onto the tram. I got off at Terminal "A" and went upstairs to the main floor. There was the usual information desk that sometimes has an attendant. There was a fellow there at that moment. I, being a man, was not going to ask for information, but my feminine side, or Holy Spirit, had me go up and check on how to find security. He directed me and I began to walk away. Something told me to go back and say I had lost my bag. I was going to ignore the urge, but then decided to go back and tell him, "I lost my bag on the tram or security." He turned around and pointed to five bags sitting in plain site on a counter of the information booth. One of them was my yellow bag...to be continued

Hope! Continuing from the last two blogs on the lost bag and lost life, God had been at work, though I was short on hope, trust and belief. The bag had everything in it, untouched. Why was it left at the information desk of terminal A? I would never have thought to go there or ask. The Southwest agent told me to go to Terminal A. Why would she bother to do that? Then I asked twice at information for help. I don't usually do that. Now I hurried back to the plane with my three shoulder bags. Don't do three shoulder bags! When I got to the gate that same agent was still there. All the passengers were on. She gave me the last boarding pass. The flight was not quite full, a rarity at Southwest. When I went through the gate, they closed the door. Two minutes later and I would not have been on that flight. When I entered the plane, there in the third row was a nice middle seat between two ladies, and overhead space for my bags. If I had a suitcase it would not have fit. I may be bad, but God is gooder. I think God wanted me to be in Florida to teach and preach. I hope so. But I have become the little old man who leaves a bag on the tram.