Mission Trip 2016

I was one of the last guys off the airport bus from the tarmac. I’m polite that way. Slowly I made my way with carry-ons to the terminal and took my step on the escalator. As I looked up I saw a small crowd of people clustered at the top. It’s India with a lot of folks, so this didn’t seem unusual – people on the plane slowly getting off at the top of the moving stairs, or, perhaps, there was a jam-up to get through the doors. Neither out-of-the-question.

But the further I went, the odder it appeared especially when one of the guys held up his hand as if for me to stop. How do you stop when the stairs are in motion? I’ve long since passed the youthful ability of running down an up escalator especially since my carry-ons where occupying the step below me.

The closer I got there was no movement from the crowd except for the waving hand urgently indicating for me to stop. He may have been telling me something. My hearing devices were not in nor would I be able to understand what he was saying.

When I got a few steps away, I could see what was happening. A young lad’s shoestring got caught at the end of the ride. The boy was on the floor. People were frantically trying to pull this string out of the moving stairs. Fortunately, it was released a second before I arrived at the top.

Still, I ended up plowing into the group like a slow rolling bowling ball about to knock over the pins. They were all moving now out the door so I just happened to push them along. 

I suppose two or three lessons could be noted. First, tie your shoe strings. I remember seeing this young lad’s fluorescent yellow string dangling from his shoes on the tarmac. I doubt he will ever forgot to tie his shoes again.

Secondly, don’t stand at the top of moving stairs when I am coming.

Thirdly, life is full of choices. Are you choosing the right way to follow Him?