My JFK, new york scare

It was 4:30 in the morning and i was rearing to go. It rained cats and dogs but by the time i got to the airport, the rain had let up. I wasn't really worried about it anyway because i knew GOD would take care of me. I was early and i had already checked in on-line. So i was feeling pretty good. Until they weighed my bags and were well over the limit. They wanted me to check my carry-on and pay $250. I just about died. So i carefully took down my bags from the scale, apologized and sheepishly dragged myself and my huge bags across the lobby (??) of the airport. I didn't really have a solution at that time. I was just about ready to throw out half the stuff in my bag. Which was a stupid plan. So there i was sitting on the airport floor in a whirlwind of clothes and shoes and stupid wonderful memorabilia when i noticed this guy inching towards me. He looked Middle-eastern and very polished. But i didn't even take 1 second to look up because i was in a frantic disposition where i wanted to cry and hide at the same time while trying my best to fold my (very heavy) clothes in a neat pile.

I guess he felt sorry for me, and so he asked if i went over baggage limit. I was sweaty, and the likelihood of paying $250 mortified me so much to the point where i could feel my facial muscles actually uglify. But i said "Yeah, they want me to pay $250 to check my carry on." I was just about ready to turn on the water works after i heard myself say that. So we just talked for a little bit about how much it sucked to be me at that moment. But it turns out, he's one of the crew people on Emirates. He wasn't working that day. He was waiting to get on the same plane as me. And so he told me to take out my shoes and transfer them to my carry on. He gave me instructions and told me to trust him because he lives out of his own suitcase and has very well mastered the difficult art of packing. I did everything he said and stood back in line to weigh my bags again. He told me to approach an Emirates staff because they're friendlier. And so I did. 

The Emirates lady pointed at the guy who charged me $250 and said that i had to go back to him. That guy wasn't very skilled at breaking bad news to people gently. So i was bracing for the worst. But then this other counter frees up in front of me and the lady told me to just go ahead and check in over there. He was a young black dude. He asked me for my passport. I kinda had to tell him what was going on--that i wasn't ready to check in yet and that i jut needed to use his scale to see if i wouldn't have click my heels 2 times to go home after all (i didn't actually say that though). He said it was okay. So i lugged back all my bags and said a million little prayers.

The 1st bag read 0.9 kg. So i took it off the scale and did it again. But now it read -10kg. And we just looked at each other. I just couldn't help myself and so i just blurted out, "Well, i guess it worked then! Cuz it weighs nothing now. Look, it's negative! My bag will actually absorb some of the weight on this flight." And he just kinda chuckled, half surprised at how the whole situation was turning around and half surprised that i managed to crack a dumb joke even at the prospect of having to pay a huge sum of moolah. Then he said "U broke my scale" with a reassuring smile on his face. But I wasn't out of the woods yet though, because that was just my first bag. For some reason, he told me to weigh the 2nd one now. The same thing happens and i asked him if i needed to weigh my carry-on and he just looks at me with a grin and tells me, like an angel, why would you wanna insist on weighing your carry on when it's obvious you're cool?" And then we skipped all across the airport and ate ice cream and became best friends for life!!! :) I couldn't believe what was happening. He was letting it slide! From $250 to absolutely nothing! Then he told me to try and make my carry-on look less bulky because his boss might check it. Then he sent me on my merry way with a great big smile. I wish i could've thanked him some more. I wanted to cry. It was a tremendous blessing!

I went back to that Emirates guy and shook his hand. He said he's see me back on the plane. But i didn't see him after that. He said he liked Manila :) What a great GOD i have! I just can't say it enough! WHAT A GREAT GOD I HAVE!!!