I was quietly driving my last two clients to Tampa airport, anxious to get home to a warm dinner, when a call came in.
There was a family at the airport who had forgotten to make a reservation and needed a ride to Sarasota, would I pick them up? Of course, can't say no to a request like that.
I wasn't planning on picking anyone up at the airport, so my car had no airport permits.
Thus my plan of action was to quietly drive in under the radar, attract no attention, and quickly load up my passengers, their luggage and quickly exit the airport before the Homeland Security people saw me.
Should work, no problem.
The plan was going exceedingly well, although the airport was extremely crowded, I spotted my family on the curb anxiously awaiting my arrival.
As I stopped near them, I opened the doors and they helped me put the luggage in the trunk and they began to get in the car.
One major problem, the trunk won't latch! As we begin to try to get the trunk to latch,people are noticing our dilemma, a hundred people standing around and I'm sure the airport police are seeing every bit of this and are ready to pounce on me for being unlicensed.
Suddenly a tall man standing next to the car asks if we want him to duct tape the trunk shut, like that is going to work.
Having nothing to lose, we said for him to give it a try.
The stranger had quite an accent, as he began to tape, my client, being an academic asked where he was from.
His reply,"Denmark.
" Now how many people fly from Copenhagen to Tampa with a roll of duct tape in their pocket? Isn't there something in the NSA rules about that? Miraculously the tape works! My client asks him what we owe him, and he says,"Nothing.
" My client then says, "Thank You.
" The Danish man then states, "No problem, you yanks saved our butt twice by bailing us out of two world wars, Thank You! It's the least I can do.
" WOW! Didn't see that one coming.
Quite humbling.
I have received this message several times over the past few years, the most memorable three: once in the outback of Australia over twenty years ago, on an Italian cruise ship two months ago, and then last Saturday night.
There is a message here, there are no coincidences.
Coincidences are only God trying to tell us something.
Like it or night, we are the world's police force, it is our responsibility to try to bring peace and democracy to this crazy world.
It's part of who we are.
It's in our DNA.
No one else can do it.
Not to interfere, but guide and show the way.
We are that New Jerusalem, that shining city on the hill, untouched by human hands, eternal in the heavens.
By the way, the duct tape held all the way home.