After a long day at work on Friday, I sat at Murdoch Bus Station waiting for my bus to come. About 10 minutes earlier, I had seen the previous bus (along with Caleb sitting inside it, looking at me) pull away from the stop - just as I realised which bus it was. I had blisters on my feet, and I was cold, hungry and tired. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper.
After a while, the next bus pulled up and I hopped in. The bus driver smiled at me as I greeted him, and a thought came into my head - give him a tract - this was closely followed by an internal dialogue that lasted for the duration of the 2 minute journey from the bus station to Murdoch Drive.
'Give him a tract - go on'
'Do I have to?'
'30in30 is starting next week - think of it as a warm-up'
'It'll look weird because I'm sitting next to the rear door and I'll have to walk all the way up to the front door! I have blisters you know, every step counts!'
'C'mon, be an example! You're a manager this time round - just do it'
*sigh*
And then as the bus pulled up at the Murdoch Drive / Leach Highway intersection, I saw an old man walking up and down Leach Highway wearing a sandwich board that said something like 'Pray for Persecuted Christians', and on the back there was a verse that I can't remember. There I was, sitting down in the warm bus having an argument with myself about giving out a measly tract, when there was a man outside in the cold walking along Leach Highway wearing a sandwich board.
So I took out the tract and held it in my hand as I waited for my stop. As I approached the stop, I walked up to the front of the bus, tagged off and gave the tract to the Bus Driver saying 'This is for you, have a good weekend!'. I did it! Thank God for the courage.
But the icing of the cake came when the Bus Driver replied 'Praise God! I'm a Born-Again-Christian!'. He then told me which church he went to and handed the tract back to me. I told him to hang on to it to give to someone else. We smiled and I hopped off the bus.
The whole experience not only lifted my heart and turned my crummy day into a not-so-bad-day-after-all, it also reminded me of the blessing that comes from obedience to God. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
After a while, the next bus pulled up and I hopped in. The bus driver smiled at me as I greeted him, and a thought came into my head - give him a tract - this was closely followed by an internal dialogue that lasted for the duration of the 2 minute journey from the bus station to Murdoch Drive.
'Give him a tract - go on'
'Do I have to?'
'30in30 is starting next week - think of it as a warm-up'
'It'll look weird because I'm sitting next to the rear door and I'll have to walk all the way up to the front door! I have blisters you know, every step counts!'
'C'mon, be an example! You're a manager this time round - just do it'
*sigh*
And then as the bus pulled up at the Murdoch Drive / Leach Highway intersection, I saw an old man walking up and down Leach Highway wearing a sandwich board that said something like 'Pray for Persecuted Christians', and on the back there was a verse that I can't remember. There I was, sitting down in the warm bus having an argument with myself about giving out a measly tract, when there was a man outside in the cold walking along Leach Highway wearing a sandwich board.
So I took out the tract and held it in my hand as I waited for my stop. As I approached the stop, I walked up to the front of the bus, tagged off and gave the tract to the Bus Driver saying 'This is for you, have a good weekend!'. I did it! Thank God for the courage.
But the icing of the cake came when the Bus Driver replied 'Praise God! I'm a Born-Again-Christian!'. He then told me which church he went to and handed the tract back to me. I told him to hang on to it to give to someone else. We smiled and I hopped off the bus.
The whole experience not only lifted my heart and turned my crummy day into a not-so-bad-day-after-all, it also reminded me of the blessing that comes from obedience to God. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
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