Hospitality of a Mystery Stranger on 9/11
Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001 at 7:20 AM I flew out of Newark Airport on United Airlines, just before United flight #93 left the same terminal at 8:01 with the hijackers. Arriving at Dulles Airport at 8:44 AM, from which hijacked American flight #77 left, I boarded my next flight for Lynchburg, Virginia and then was asked to deplane. A few minutes later all passengers were asked to leave the Terminal A and go to the main terminal. A ticket taker began screaming and the group of passengers became very excited.
Thinking better of the whole situation I held back and walked out slowly. I didn't know what had happened or what was continuing to happen in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania.
While in the main terminal I called my wife Pat and Liberty University to which I was traveling. Subsequently, I received a better understanding of the situation, but still I was somewhat in the dark.
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Airport personnel asked those of us left the terminal to leave and go outside where buses would take us to a hotel. I couldn't see how that would work for me so I went back inside. I worked, observed people, and napped. While napping briefly I was awakened by a reporter taking my picture. She inquired if I would answer a few questions and identified herself as a reporter for a local bi-weekly newspaper.
God is good.
Not realizing it at the time, but I had been at the heart of the action, that is to say, in the same departure area as the terrorists. Forgive me, I don't mean to sound melodramatic, but things were beginning to become clear to me.
When I first began talking to the reporter she asked, "Are you afraid?"
I had said, "No."
After she told me what had happened and continued to happen I said, "May we revisit your first question? I am terrified."
The attendants then once again said everyone would have to leave the terminal where buses would take us to hotels. I explained my feelings about leaving to the reporter who said she wouldn't get on the bus either. I had already tried to rent a car, but none were available. The reporter said she had a friend who would probably rent me one at Enterprise Rent-a-Car. She called and sure enough he would. We drove to the rental office in Sterling, Virginia, I was given a map and I left.
I didn't know her name, but I do know she was a Christian, she told me that after I said how much I appreciated my regnant Christian faith.
I began to drive only stopping to try, unsuccessfully, to call Pat and our son Rob, II. I felt very much alone and became very emotional. I toyed with the idea of turning the car around and driving home, but thought the next day things would return to normal and I would have left my responsibilities unfulfilled.
I made it to Lynchburg, Virginia by 6:00 PM. No one was at the University who could help me so I proceeded to return the vehicle to a remote location outside of town. I walked across the street to a gas station to try and get a cab where someone asked me why I was walking about with my luggage. I told them the story and they said they would drive me to the Holiday Inn Select downtown where I had a reservation.
After settling in I walked down Main Street to the restaurant where I usually ate when in Lynchburg. Small talk began with the waiter about the day and my experience.
How wonderful, how providential it was to discover that the waiter also was a believer and loved the Lord Jesus Christ. This took our conversation deeper to a level of gratitude to the Lord for His protection and to an understanding of the mutual benefit we had in that moment for the bond we shared in Jesus Christ.
Thursday I was to return to New Jersey, but my flight was canceled and no rental vehicles were available. I couldn't find any transportation until Friday at the earliest. I paged my friend and colleague whom I knew was traveling home from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He was still there and said he would swing by to pick me up and we could ride together.
Wow, I hadn't been able to work being so upset about not being able to get home to Pat. This began to come down on me Wednesday evening in the hotel room. After speaking with my colleague I began to work productively, finished what I needed and left at noon for home.
He drove, I drove, we stopped to eat and I was dropped off between exit 8A and 9 of the New Jersey Turnpike at the Joyce Kilmer rest stop at 7:30 PM. Pat picked me up at 8:30. I stopped by Newark Airport to retrieve my car and fortunately they let me drive it out. We arrived home at 10 PM.
Some weeks later I thought I would try to contact the reporter in Virginia who had been so kind to me. I called around to locate the bi-weekly newspaper for which I thought she wrote. I was told that they didn't employ a woman reporter nor did they carry a story written by a woman concerning the events of September 11th. I pursued further investigation and found that there were no other bi-weekly papers in the area. It is a mystery to me yet who this woman was, for whom she worked, or from where she came.
"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." God cares for us and is always near! Thanks be to God!
Hebrews 13:2 (ESV) "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." (Hebrews 13:2 ESV)
