Moving from one place to another is not an easy task, especially when you have to carry four pieces of luggage from one country to another. The airport departure – from the car to the ticket counter at the airport there is a porter to assist. The airport arrival – from the baggage claim to the shuttle bus there is a trolley to assist. Who or what can you rely on to assist after the airport? This is where I met Ahmad, a man probably in his late forties from the Middle East.
I had just gotten off the shuttle and headed up the escalator to find train tickets. He saw me struggling with my luggage and asked if I needed a taxi. My immediate response was “No, I can manage.”
“Where are you going to, I will help you”, he replied.
“To university”.
“Come” he said, “I will take you”.
“How much is your taxi?”
“I don’t have the book, come and I will tell you”, he insisted.
By this time he had already grabbed two of my luggage and headed for the door. It is hard to argue with someone when you have an obvious burden and they are providing relief. I thought to myself he doesn’t appear to be dangerous and I am bigger than he is so if he tries something I am confident I could take him. Besides, I know his fare could not compete with the railroad fare so I will hear what it is then leave.
He goes to get his car and by the looks of it I’m getting all kinds of signals that this guy is not who he claims to be. So I’m thinking I am out of here. He comes back to me with some excuse of why he does not have his fare book and ask where I’m going. I tell him the university and he doesn’t know how to get there. I pull out a map and suddenly he remembers. I ask him how much and he says, “₤70”. Yep, this was my cue to grab my stuff and leave because this price is outrageous. He sees me gabbing my stuff and pleads with me to make a deal. Well call me crazy, but I did make a deal for ₤45. Why? Because I sensed desperation and realized that this guy is a hustler trying to make a few pounds.
Throughout this whole ordeal I am praying, “Lord what should I do, what should I do?” I did not get a direct answer but what I felt was a sense of covering, one that protected me from any harm that would come near me. It was this feeling that calmed me when ahmad took my luggage when I was headed up the escalator and this feeling prevented me from walking away from the whole ordeal. Throughout the whole thing I did not feel threatened, I felt protected. Not just any protection, God’s protection.
We got the car loaded (of course the car is not a taxi) and headed for the university. I know the trip would be a short one and I pulled out the map to make sure we were headed in the right direction. I my mind I’m thinking, ‘great a black man and a man from the Middle East travelling together with a bunch of luggage’. If that’s not suspicious what is?
During the drive we exchange small talk and within 25 minutes we were at the university. He was very helpful and patient. While I went into the building to enquire about housing he waited in the car with the luggage. Within 15 minutes we were off loading the luggage. In my heart I felt impressed to give him a little extra. Why? I don’t know I just did. Safe and sound at the university, praise God!
What is the significance of this ordeal and why am I sharing it? Well let me outline them for you because at first I did not see it until the end.
- My flight landed in London at 12 noon on a Friday and I am at the university shortly after 3 pm.
- I had lots of luggage, no means of transportation, no resources to waste and in need of a place to stay.
- The university’s housing office closes at 5 pm and did not open until Monday.
When you put all of these points together here is the significance. The ride that I got from the Middle East supposedly taxi driver enabled me to arrive at the university early enough to look at and secure a place to stay. Without Ahmad’s assistance I would have had to find a hotel for the 3 nights (there are none near by) and some how haul that luggage around. Some would call it coincidence but I see Ahmad being used by God. I see God making provision for His child to get where him where he needs to be when he needs to be there.
What I did not tell you was that last year when I was hear in London visiting the university I saw a man in the train station struggling with his luggage up the stairs. Keep in mind the stairs in the station are not just a few steps. You can literally stand at the bottom of the stairs and not see the top. You don't walk up these steps, you have to climb them and with luggage it is overwhelming. As I looked at the man I saw everyone passing, I saw him in a world with many people but all alone. No one to help, no one to assist. So I grabbed two of his bags and helped him up the stairs. At the top of the stairs he looked at me with a gratitude that penetrated my soul. He said something in Arabic but all I understood was the look of gratitude. This look still sticks with me today.
Persons that saw what happen had a face of disbelief, as to say why did you do that? Jesus commented that 'He did what He saw the Father do' (John 5:19) . I only did what I saw needed to be done. Perhaps what happen to me was a returned favor. What ever it was I am grateful to God and I give Him all the praise for working it out.
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