I am sitting in the Buffalo airport, waiting for my early Sunday morning flight to Chicago. I am going to a KINDLE Learning Event (more on that in the coming days…). Because of this, I went to 5:30 service last night and now I’m trying to practice what I learned in the sermon…without my notes. Here’s how it went:

Last night I checked online…United is one of the airlines that is charging for even ONE checked bag. I have a LOT of stuff for the Learning Event, so I fit it all into the one bag–I know it will be heavy. But, I think when they’re automatically charging you for a bag, maybe they let the weight thing slide a little. Plus, who knows how much they charge for a second bag (which I won’t need on the way home because I’m leaving half this stuff with people at the Learning Event).

Arrive at the airport at 5:45am.  Groggy. A friendly guy at the counter helps me at the kiosk, including putting my bag up on the scale. “Be careful,” I say, “that bag is heav-EEE.”

He puts it up there–it registers 60 pounds (I told you it was heavy). He says, “That will be $15 charge for checking a bag, with an additional $125 for the bag being overweight.”

I look him straight in the eye and ask, “Are you one hundred percent serious?” I TRULY thought he was yanking my chain.

He said, “I am one hundred percent serious. You can try to get 10 pounds out of your bag, or check another bag (does he SEE another bag somewhere??!?), the charge for that is $50.”

Practice: Don’t deny I’m angry. I say to myself, “Sue, you are angry.”

Practice: I don’t announce my anger. I REALLY want to. But I try to stick with whatever is left of groggy, and I don’t tell this guy how angry I am.

Practice: Delay my response. I decide to think about this later.

Practice: I think it’s like ask God for patience. I ask, but I wonder if I’m allowing myself to be taken advantage of. I feel like eating a pastry (definitely NOT on the plan for today).

Practice: Something about figuring out the real feelings behind the anger. I am frustrated. I know this sounds a little weird, but I also think I’m feeling a little afraid. The world seems to have gone a little wacky–the economy is in crisis, I have friends who are grieving, the world is out of kilter. Charging $125 for a 60 pound bag is crazy. I feel unsure.

Practice: I can’t remember this one.

Practice: Give it to God. Still holding on, a bit. I’ll work on that.