When I said "adventures...."

The Coat From His Back.

It’s 3am. I have left my house 25 hours ago... and I’m stuck in JFK, NY for at least another 4 hours.
Let me share about my eventful day/evening.

Everything was going well, I flew London- Charlotte, met Rachel, hung out for a while, went to the airport, checked in, got on the plane, took off at 8:30pm for a 2 hour flight. I remember when we got above the clouds and the stars seemed so close... The clouds below were blocking out the city lights so it was pitch black and these glorious stars... Orion’s belt was the one that was most obvious... After just a little while, I fell asleep.

I woke up to the sound of the captain over the intercom saying that unfortunately due to weather circumstances they’d been sent on a route 100 miles out of the way and as they hadn’t forseen this, they were about to run out of fuel so were going to land in Pennsylvania to refuel and that it would take 20 minutes. We took off an hour later.

During the waiting onboard, everybody seemed to be bonding with a common factor... A intense frustration with the airline.

There was nobody in the seat next to mine and there was one man sat in the seats adjacent. He started telling me how this was the fourth time with this airline that something had gone wrong... and when he was done I said that I hoped I would catch my bus from Port of Authority in Manhattan.
He was very helpful and told me my best route and all sorts.

The more time went on, the more concerned he got that I wouldn’t make it. He let me use my phone to let the Ebel’s know that I was in Pennsylvania and then he got the number for greyhound to see if he could find out whether they would hold the bus... All he got was automated services though.

When we got off the plane he stuck with me and said he’d help me on my way. So we got to the baggage claims and waited for a MILLION years (in the least literal sense!) for my suitcase and guitar and he was so helpful going and asking different people different things to try to help me out.

Eventually we got outside and saw a sign saying $15 bus straight to the bus station... He told me to wait where I was (by now it’s maybe 12:30?) and he went and spoke to someone. He came back and said he had bad news and that the cop had told him that the $15 bus had stopped at 11pm. I could get a $50 taxi but couldn’t guarantee that I’d make the bus. He took off his coat and told me to wear it. I said no. He told me to wear it... He pointed out that he had another one... It’s not even a particularly nice coat but instantly I remembered that verse in the bible where Jesus talks about giving someone the coat off your back if they needed it. I think that’s what it says. My brain isn’t fully functioning right now!

Anyways, the first man (whose name I never found out) said that getting a taxi would be silly cause I’d just end up getting there and not being allowed to stay overnight...
By this point I’m nearly in tears, I just want to get to Joy right?! So I used his phone again and spoke to her and we figured that I’d stay at the airport and go to the bus station first thing in the morning and let her know what time I’d arrive.

He went to leave and handed me $20 and told me to eat. The last time I’d eaten was a sandwich on the plane at 2pm.

The policeman then took me into the terminal and said how it would be closed, but that I had his permission to stay there. He let me use the phone to call Joy back to see if she’d found out any greyhound times for the morning... she hadn’t.

He took me to a vending machine cause that’s all there was around so I got a couple of things.
He left and told me that if there was any problems to tell them to call him.

As he walked away a security guard came and told me I had to leave. I told him what had happened and that he needed to go and speak to the police man. This was the bit that apparently tipped me off the edge and tears started falling down my face. I guess guys don’t know how to handle that sometimes. He left pretty fast.
But he came back really soon saying that he couldn’t find the cop and that I had to wait around the corner by the entrance until the officer came back round.

I went and sat down and started to eat until another security guard came and told me I had to leave... I tried to explain to him that the cop had told me not to move and the whole story but then another lady from the airline came over.
I was too tired to argue. They told me where to go and half an hour later here I was in terminal 4.
I’m too tired to sleep... and too nervous that I’ll sleep for too long, or my stuff will get thieved! And I’m past the stage of hungry and I just think this is hysterical now!

If things had gone the way they were meant to I would be 5 hours from being with Joy. Instead I’m closer to 5 hours till I can even get on the bus!

The thing about this story is that 2 guys who aren’t even Christians went out of their way to make sure I was ok... and it really touched me! If they hadn’t have been around I wouldn’t have had a clue what to do or where to go.

I love that God can use anybody. I love that His hand of protection is over me and that he keeps me safe. I love that my God is bigger than all these minor catastrophes that happened.

And the best bit is?! I’m not cold in the process.