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testimony.
• The conspiracy, as I found it, focuses in on the airlines. I know this may sound like a far-fetched idea but I can only give my observation. The airlines are in a conspiracy with the United States government to take as much money from me as they possibly can. Not that I have a lot of money, I just would like to keep as much of it as possible for those occasions when I would like to take my wife out to a restaurant and just have a relaxing evening. That takes money.
• It began with checking in our luggage. Two bags for me and two bags for my wife equals too much luggage. We put our luggage on the conveyor belt and then were informed by the check-in clerk that each bag cost an extra $50. She swiped my credit card and even though I am not a mathematical wizard, I believe it was in the neighborhood of $200. I do not like that neighborhood.
• Later on, I sat down to figure it out and discovered it would be far cheaper not to take any luggage and then when arriving at my destination buy a new set of clothes. My entire wardrobe does not equal $100. Of course, on my wife's side of the closet it is a different story.
• We got our boarding pass and then the young woman behind the counter looked at me and asked a strange question. "Sir, how tall are you?"
• It has been a long time since anybody asked me that kind of a question. Why she wanted to know how tall I was could not be found in the corridors of my empty mind. I then informed her that I was 6'3".
• "I see," she said as she stared at her computer screen. Then she explained. "The average height of a male passenger on our plane is 5'11". You exceed that limit by 4 inches."
• I looked at my wife and we both shared a wonderful laugh. Then I look back at her behind the counter, but she was not laughing.
• "There will be an extra charge for your exceeding our height limit."
• "Let's see," she said as she studied the computer screen, "that's 4 inches times $15 per inch which equals $60." She then swiped my credit card, again, and charged it with the $60 extra fee.
• That was just the beginning of the "swiping" by the airlines. By the time our vacation was over, I was totally swiped out.
• When I got home I meditated a little bit on what Jesus said, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's" (Luke 20:25 KJV).
• I really do not mind rendering to "Caesar" but I just wish he wasn't so greedy.
• Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, PO Box 831313, Ocala, FL 34483. He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 1-866-552-2543 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. His web site is www.jamessnyderministries.com