Location: Train to Sibu, next to a grandmother and a little boy who is fascinated in EVERYTHING because he almost never travels by train; it is 12:45pm on the 4th of December.
I was not planning to write a blog post now, but I have to because of the past 24 hours. I am on my way to visit my I.--not the same I. with whom I spent last weekend, but my other former collegue I. So instead of going toward Brasov as I did last weekend, I am going in the opposite direction, to Sibiu.
Have you ever known someone without patience who wants to get to his destination NOW? I have met a lot of "Christians" like that; they know that God's Way is straight and narrow, and they hop on and march after Jesus as directly as possible. Sometimes I like to travel like that, too, but I must say that hitch-hiking helps to cure me of that. In fact, it is good for me to be reminded that even though the Way is narrow, it is not really so straight; neither is it a high-speed interstate highway! The Way passes through the lives and hearts of many people, stops for conversations at a well, passes through tombs where demon-possessed men wander, winds through the countryside where five thousand hungry men gather, leaves a Roman cross in the rearview mirror, and eventually meanders into eternity. If we hurry forward without taking time to speak with a stranger we encounter not far from Emaeus, we may miss the very Jesus we claim to be "following." Following goes after; it does not run ahead.
I taught French and English an extra day this week, meaning that I had an extra day of hitch-hiking. I arrived in town yesterday morning without problem, rolling in the cab of an enormous semi truck. After spending most of my day in a garage preparing boots for our winter outreach, interrupted by singing for half-an-hour in an outdoor Christmas concert in the citadel, I headed home. Yes, hitch-hiking gets harder at night, but to this day, the Lord has always provided the right ride, so I prayed and started flagging down cars. It was not long before a van driver picked me up, but when we got to the intersection outside of town, he started heading the wrong way! Quickly I stopped him and realized he had heard me incorrectly--I did not want to go to Targu Mures! Once again I was on the side of the road. I waited long enough to watch a fox trot around the roundabout without getting hit by a car, and then a friendly man going to Sibiu picked me up. Too bad I was not going directly to Sibiu then! But as I had to teach in the morning, I got out at D., my half-way point home. It was not cold yet, but by the time a waited a long hour, it started to get chilly. Finally a young man picked me up and was thrilled to practice speaking English with an American--he went out of his way to drive me home! Both men gave me their phone numbers; how is that for Romanian hospitality!
You see, that is how God's Way goes. Maybe I think waiting for an hour on the side of the road is a shame, but my Father knows with whom I need to meet. Besides, when I leave my plans in His hands, how can I complain when He does what He knows is best? But it gets better...
Morning came early after my late evening last night, building a fire and eating dinner after I finally arrived home. I taught French and English, and then prepared to leave for Sibiu. As I reached my hitch-hiking spot, the rain started to fall, and I was none too sorry that I had elected to wear my heavy winter coat. Yet as my waiting time grew, I began to be a bit concerned, knowing that I. would be expecting me to get off a certain train and that I might miss that train. My village, C., and D., the halfway point to Sighisoara are closer to Sibiu than Sighisoara, but I planned to catch the train in Sighisoara to go to Sibiu.
When I finally caught a ride, I was thankful, but I was disappointed to learn that he was not going anywhere nearer to my destination. He left me in D., and looking at the clock, I decided to hitch-hike toward Sibiu, figuring I could take the train from somewhere instead of "backtracking" to Sighisoara. So just like last night, I found myself praying and waiting for a ride in D. Suddenly, I was surprised by someone on the other side of the road honking at me and stopping--I did not recognize the car. It was the man who had just let me out of his car ten or fifteen minutes ago! He asked me what I was doing and recommended that I go to Sighisoara, that I would have more options there; he had run his errand and now was going to Sighisoara. So again I found myself in his passenger seat, this time speeding to Sighisoara. Once there, he went out of his way to take me directly to the train station. Grateful, I thanked him and lost no time marching in; I was unsure of the exact departure time of my train, but I thought I could make it.
The lady at the ticket window looked up from her desk when I asked for a ticket, and said, "I do not have time to sell you a ticket, it is leaving now--hurry!" As I thanked her and spun around, the girl cleaning the floor said, "Run!" I ran! As I was rounding the corner, the conductor's whistle sounded, and I could see the doors closing in my face. But my imagination was wrong; I jumped inside just in time! Who did I find sitting right there except my good friend, M.! I did not have an opportunity to greet her or sit down though, because I had to buy a ticket from the conductor. As I attempted to, I saw M. shaking her head "no" over his shoulder! She was trying to tell me that he was ripping me off since I am a foreigner. I hesitated, and he left me to do something else, telling me he would come back. M. asked if I needed a girlfriend so I could get charged the Romanian price, so I let her take my arm and sit down with me.
I then found out that she was going to C., where I had started from! I knew that she often goes there on Saturdays, but I thought she was already there this morning. (She had sang in the concert with me yesterday, and I figured she rode back with our friend from C., H., and had spent the night.) She also told me that H. was picking her up from the train station in D. I had not realized that this train stops in D.--I could have gone to that train station when I was hitch-hiking there, instead of having to go back to Sighisoara. Moreover, had I known that H. was driving to D., I could have ridden with her directly, saving me a damp morning of hitch-hiking in circles! But remember, we cannot take shortcuts on God's Way!
The conductor came back and took my "girlfriend's" ticket, then continued on his way. That gave me time to explain to M. where I was going--she knows my friend, I., too. Then she realized that I was not being overcharged by the conductor; she had assumed that I was going home to C. But by then, we had entered a new adventure: the Gypsy lady across the way was going to be kicked off the train because she did not have a ticket that would legally take her and her baby to the hospital they were headed toward. (She is a widow with several children who lives in one of the villages I work in, but she did not know me.) She asked M. for money, and M. turned to me to ask if I wanted to pray for them. Then she offered our services. By then the conductor came back and got involved. By the end of the ten minutes that it took to reach, everyone was happy. My girlfriend, M., hopped off the train, and I saw H. through the window; how funny that this morning when we had school together with her son, I had no idea that we would cross paths later in D.! The conductor no longer felt the need to throw E. and baby N. off the train, so they became my new best friends until we reached their destination an half-hour later. Even more exciting for me was seeing the other lady in our row transform from quietly watching everything unfold to smiling and interacting with us, wishing us all a nice day when she left.
You see, when God works, everyone notices. This morning, when I was praying about my day and giving my plans to God, I had no idea what my day would be like. I certainly did not realize I could have taken a "shortcut" directly to D. and then straight to Sibiu from there. But neither did I expect to be going in circles all morning, re-encountering helpful people I knew over and over again. Yet hear I find myself on the train I planned to take, on time, with I. waiting at the end of the line. Had I gone my way, I would have been here, too, but without all of the blessings that happened to me and the folks around me all morning. I like traveling with Jesus--going His Way! I always try to pray (usually silently) for the people who pick me up when I am hitch-hiking. Since leaving town last night, I had the opportunity to pray for four drivers, a lady and her baby, a train conductor, a fellow passenger, a grandmother and her train-happy grandson, and my good friend, M., just to name a few! Plus I got to see a fox, rendez-vous with the girlfriend I did not know I had, and catch the train I feared I might miss. It kind of makes you wonder what my Father has in store for the rest of my weekend, does it not?
As my train slows down and the Christmas season speeds up, I pray that you will take the time out of your hurry and look at the design of every snowflake that falls, that you would exchange extra smiles with the people around you, that you would lend a helping hand when you can, that you would sit at the feet of Jesus when others feel like they constantly have to be preparing, and that you would follow Jesus whichever way He winds through the crowd, through the month, or through life. Next time you are waiting in line or snowed in or have to go out of your way, thank the Lord and use the time for His glory! His Way is best!
I bless you in the Name of our Jesus!
I was not planning to write a blog post now, but I have to because of the past 24 hours. I am on my way to visit my I.--not the same I. with whom I spent last weekend, but my other former collegue I. So instead of going toward Brasov as I did last weekend, I am going in the opposite direction, to Sibiu.
Have you ever known someone without patience who wants to get to his destination NOW? I have met a lot of "Christians" like that; they know that God's Way is straight and narrow, and they hop on and march after Jesus as directly as possible. Sometimes I like to travel like that, too, but I must say that hitch-hiking helps to cure me of that. In fact, it is good for me to be reminded that even though the Way is narrow, it is not really so straight; neither is it a high-speed interstate highway! The Way passes through the lives and hearts of many people, stops for conversations at a well, passes through tombs where demon-possessed men wander, winds through the countryside where five thousand hungry men gather, leaves a Roman cross in the rearview mirror, and eventually meanders into eternity. If we hurry forward without taking time to speak with a stranger we encounter not far from Emaeus, we may miss the very Jesus we claim to be "following." Following goes after; it does not run ahead.
I taught French and English an extra day this week, meaning that I had an extra day of hitch-hiking. I arrived in town yesterday morning without problem, rolling in the cab of an enormous semi truck. After spending most of my day in a garage preparing boots for our winter outreach, interrupted by singing for half-an-hour in an outdoor Christmas concert in the citadel, I headed home. Yes, hitch-hiking gets harder at night, but to this day, the Lord has always provided the right ride, so I prayed and started flagging down cars. It was not long before a van driver picked me up, but when we got to the intersection outside of town, he started heading the wrong way! Quickly I stopped him and realized he had heard me incorrectly--I did not want to go to Targu Mures! Once again I was on the side of the road. I waited long enough to watch a fox trot around the roundabout without getting hit by a car, and then a friendly man going to Sibiu picked me up. Too bad I was not going directly to Sibiu then! But as I had to teach in the morning, I got out at D., my half-way point home. It was not cold yet, but by the time a waited a long hour, it started to get chilly. Finally a young man picked me up and was thrilled to practice speaking English with an American--he went out of his way to drive me home! Both men gave me their phone numbers; how is that for Romanian hospitality!
You see, that is how God's Way goes. Maybe I think waiting for an hour on the side of the road is a shame, but my Father knows with whom I need to meet. Besides, when I leave my plans in His hands, how can I complain when He does what He knows is best? But it gets better...
Morning came early after my late evening last night, building a fire and eating dinner after I finally arrived home. I taught French and English, and then prepared to leave for Sibiu. As I reached my hitch-hiking spot, the rain started to fall, and I was none too sorry that I had elected to wear my heavy winter coat. Yet as my waiting time grew, I began to be a bit concerned, knowing that I. would be expecting me to get off a certain train and that I might miss that train. My village, C., and D., the halfway point to Sighisoara are closer to Sibiu than Sighisoara, but I planned to catch the train in Sighisoara to go to Sibiu.
When I finally caught a ride, I was thankful, but I was disappointed to learn that he was not going anywhere nearer to my destination. He left me in D., and looking at the clock, I decided to hitch-hike toward Sibiu, figuring I could take the train from somewhere instead of "backtracking" to Sighisoara. So just like last night, I found myself praying and waiting for a ride in D. Suddenly, I was surprised by someone on the other side of the road honking at me and stopping--I did not recognize the car. It was the man who had just let me out of his car ten or fifteen minutes ago! He asked me what I was doing and recommended that I go to Sighisoara, that I would have more options there; he had run his errand and now was going to Sighisoara. So again I found myself in his passenger seat, this time speeding to Sighisoara. Once there, he went out of his way to take me directly to the train station. Grateful, I thanked him and lost no time marching in; I was unsure of the exact departure time of my train, but I thought I could make it.
The lady at the ticket window looked up from her desk when I asked for a ticket, and said, "I do not have time to sell you a ticket, it is leaving now--hurry!" As I thanked her and spun around, the girl cleaning the floor said, "Run!" I ran! As I was rounding the corner, the conductor's whistle sounded, and I could see the doors closing in my face. But my imagination was wrong; I jumped inside just in time! Who did I find sitting right there except my good friend, M.! I did not have an opportunity to greet her or sit down though, because I had to buy a ticket from the conductor. As I attempted to, I saw M. shaking her head "no" over his shoulder! She was trying to tell me that he was ripping me off since I am a foreigner. I hesitated, and he left me to do something else, telling me he would come back. M. asked if I needed a girlfriend so I could get charged the Romanian price, so I let her take my arm and sit down with me.
I then found out that she was going to C., where I had started from! I knew that she often goes there on Saturdays, but I thought she was already there this morning. (She had sang in the concert with me yesterday, and I figured she rode back with our friend from C., H., and had spent the night.) She also told me that H. was picking her up from the train station in D. I had not realized that this train stops in D.--I could have gone to that train station when I was hitch-hiking there, instead of having to go back to Sighisoara. Moreover, had I known that H. was driving to D., I could have ridden with her directly, saving me a damp morning of hitch-hiking in circles! But remember, we cannot take shortcuts on God's Way!
The conductor came back and took my "girlfriend's" ticket, then continued on his way. That gave me time to explain to M. where I was going--she knows my friend, I., too. Then she realized that I was not being overcharged by the conductor; she had assumed that I was going home to C. But by then, we had entered a new adventure: the Gypsy lady across the way was going to be kicked off the train because she did not have a ticket that would legally take her and her baby to the hospital they were headed toward. (She is a widow with several children who lives in one of the villages I work in, but she did not know me.) She asked M. for money, and M. turned to me to ask if I wanted to pray for them. Then she offered our services. By then the conductor came back and got involved. By the end of the ten minutes that it took to reach, everyone was happy. My girlfriend, M., hopped off the train, and I saw H. through the window; how funny that this morning when we had school together with her son, I had no idea that we would cross paths later in D.! The conductor no longer felt the need to throw E. and baby N. off the train, so they became my new best friends until we reached their destination an half-hour later. Even more exciting for me was seeing the other lady in our row transform from quietly watching everything unfold to smiling and interacting with us, wishing us all a nice day when she left.
You see, when God works, everyone notices. This morning, when I was praying about my day and giving my plans to God, I had no idea what my day would be like. I certainly did not realize I could have taken a "shortcut" directly to D. and then straight to Sibiu from there. But neither did I expect to be going in circles all morning, re-encountering helpful people I knew over and over again. Yet hear I find myself on the train I planned to take, on time, with I. waiting at the end of the line. Had I gone my way, I would have been here, too, but without all of the blessings that happened to me and the folks around me all morning. I like traveling with Jesus--going His Way! I always try to pray (usually silently) for the people who pick me up when I am hitch-hiking. Since leaving town last night, I had the opportunity to pray for four drivers, a lady and her baby, a train conductor, a fellow passenger, a grandmother and her train-happy grandson, and my good friend, M., just to name a few! Plus I got to see a fox, rendez-vous with the girlfriend I did not know I had, and catch the train I feared I might miss. It kind of makes you wonder what my Father has in store for the rest of my weekend, does it not?
As my train slows down and the Christmas season speeds up, I pray that you will take the time out of your hurry and look at the design of every snowflake that falls, that you would exchange extra smiles with the people around you, that you would lend a helping hand when you can, that you would sit at the feet of Jesus when others feel like they constantly have to be preparing, and that you would follow Jesus whichever way He winds through the crowd, through the month, or through life. Next time you are waiting in line or snowed in or have to go out of your way, thank the Lord and use the time for His glory! His Way is best!
I bless you in the Name of our Jesus!
