Working with fellow riders ignites your soul.
This team possesses strengths you lack and perspectives that challenge and
sharpen you and love bursts in your heart for them!
Over time you’ve seen riders come and go.
Sometimes out of the blue, the Driver announces, “Next stop for …” You hear the
swish of the air brakes and the squeak of the doors opening. With heavy heart
you watch friends exit. Other times as the bus rolls to a stop you brace yourself,
not only to keep your body in the seat, but because you don’t know who will be
stepping on next. Hopefully it’s someone
likeminded who will aid in the bus’ mission.
As much as you adore the bus, in quite
moments when you look out the window you can’t help but wonder if the bus is
going the direction meant for you. Quickly you conclude that perhaps it’s not
going in the exact direction, but maybe
it is. So you gladly take your seat and thank God for the privilege of the
ride.
Then one day out of the blue, you glance
into the rear view mirror. You catch Him eyeing you in the midst of delivering
your best idea yet to the group. Mid-sentence
you notice those penetrating eyes and you stop for a second to decipher why
they’re focused on you. It’s probably just your imagination. You shake it off
and continue sharing your thought.
Then a few days later it happens
again. This time you’re sitting in your
seat…thinking. You feel piercing eyes directed at you. You glance at the Driver’s rear view mirror locking
eyes, and then quickly divert your attention elsewhere…anywhere but there.
You scrunch down in your seat out of the Driver’s
view. You have a sneaking suspicion what
the eyes are telling you, but you don’t want to go there.
Then the adult in you realizes can’t hide
forever, so you muster the inner strength to straighten up and take another
look. It’s not your imagination. The eyes are
fixed on you.
This time you intentionally look back.
Your eyes ask with a wrinkled brow and a slight tilt of the head. You hold your breath waiting for the
answer. The Driver’s eyes penetrate lovingly
through the rear view mirror melting away the wall you tried to construct. They
blink slightly with a gentle nod as if to say, “I know you’re sad, but it’s
true.”
Your heart sinks. You knew it. Really, you did. You had a sense in your gut, but didn’t want
to admit it. You love your seat on this bus.
You nod back to the Driver confirming you
understand. He gives a quick wink and a
sad smile. You sad smile back and look
out the window again.
Only this time you really look. Honestly, you don’t have a clue what’s happening
outside. You’ve been so entrenched in
keeping the bus’ activities on track how would you know if the bus is going the
right direction?
But leaving the bus feels like entering a
black hole. Maybe you don’t need to go that far! Maybe you misinterpreted the eyes and only
need to change seats!
Then you
feel it again. Your peripheral vision
catches His crystal eyes fixed on one thing. You.
Ignoring the eyes, you scheme your way
around the bus considering ways to appease Driver by simply adjusting your
role. You envision various options in your mind. You can make something work! You’re sure of it.
Then again ever since that first glance
with the eyes, things feel different. No matter how many scenarios you create,
the deep crevices of your heart are restless.
How could something so right suddenly become like a round peg in a
square hole?
Eventually you glance back up to the rear
view mirror.
Nothing…
Oh dear.
You hadn’t thought of that! The
blood drains from your face and in an instant, the decision is made.
While you love the bus, you love
connection with the eyes more. In fact,
staying on the bus without the relationship of the eyes scares the living day
lights out of you.
You stare up at the mirror again hoping
the eyes will reciprocate, but they do not.
You quickly gather your belongings all the while keeping your eyes
peeled toward that mirror.
Eventually, the eyes scan back and almost
turn away, but they notice your deliberate glare. Their direct focus shouts without saying a
word. The eyes are pleased. Somehow that will make this move bearable.
Almost immediately you hear over the loud
speaker, “Next stop for…” Your name is called.
Your friends hug your neck. The
swish of the air brakes signal it’s time.
Off you go.
There on the sidewalk you take one last
look up at the Driver’s eyes before the door squeaks shut. The crystal blues send a message. If you understood clearly they said, “Wait
here till further notice.” While you’re
not sure what’s next, you do know those eyes radiate love and care.
You’re going to need to remember that…
That was months ago. Here you
stand… waiting. Many worthy buses have invited you to hop on their mission. The
temptation is great, until you recall those
were not your instructions.
Waiting…it’s tough stuff. With
others hopping on and off buses, the feeling rivals being picked last for the
team or forgetting to be chosen at all.
You panic wondering if God forgotten you or cast you aside.
No, my friend; absolutely,
resolutely no! There is grand purpose in your post at the bus stop. You best embrace the moments. There will be individuals
you’ll meet one on one; people you didn’t have time to know while you were on
the bus’ mission; time alone to search deeply into your heart and hear the
still small voice. You are being
prepared for your next mission and He is orchestrating it all as He planned
because in His time…
You find yourself a “new” rider on the bus…