I was at LAX International airport in Los Angeles yesterday and a young man came up from behind me and firmly grabbed me on the shoulder. I was startled and whirled around ready to defend myself, but the guy who grabbed me didn’t look like a thug or terrorist. He had a look of desperation in his eyes and quickly asked if I was an executive.
Huh?
He told me that another person at LAX had told him to find an executive to help him. I looked at him in wonderment and answered, “Well I suppose I am an executive. Why do you want to talk to an executive?”
He told me that he was a good Jewish student and had just graduated from Penn State and had come out to L.A. for a job interview. He went on to say that his flight had been cancelled and due to Memorial Day all other flights were full and he would have to wait until tomorrow to get a flight home. He was but a simple college student and had no money or any way to get any, and in fact he didn’t have enough money to get a motel room for the night or even eat.
He went on to say that the airline would not comp a room for him because the delay was weather related. In desperation he had checked with their management, called his Rabbi, and even with the police in his quest for assistance. All was to no avail. He approached no less than twenty people at the airport and finally found a man who said he would help him. They went to an ATM and the guy couldn’t get it to work, so he told the young man to find someone who looks like an executive and maybe he could get some help from them. He told me that I looked like an executive.
He pulled out his driver’s license, airline boarding pass, and empty wallet to show me that he was legit and asked if I could loan him enough money to get a room for the night and maybe a little something to eat. I smiled at him and said sure and gave him a couple of hundred dollars. He thanked me profusely, and asked for one of my business cards so he could repay me and in fact give me extra. I told him not to worry about “extra”, and that he could repay the actual amount.
The name of the entity on my business card that I represented was The Jesus Alliance. As I was thinking about this incident today I wondered if this was some scam, or if this guy was legitimate. Maybe I just got ripped off, or maybe I helped a young fellow who desperately needed help. I think Jesus would be happy either way because the name of Jesus was read and lifted up to either a scam artist or someone who was in a jam (and who in this case happened to be an orthodox Jew who needed to meet Jesus).
The Bible states in Matt. 5:16: In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. I pray that this young man will see the name of Jesus on my business card and reflect upon it and that the name of Jesus Christ will be glorified.
Have a great weekend and go to Honey Lake Church or somewhere this Sunday.
Eph. 5:18
For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!
May 27, 2016 – Click here to listen