the way

What I did today on the bus could be seen, I suppose, as a picture of the calling that I have.

I'd been up town for a meeting late on in the afternoon and was getting the bus back home. Rush hour sort of thing.

An American tourist got on in front of me and asked the driver to explain to her whereabouts on the route the Holiday Inn was. Given that it was the rush hour, he wasn't in the mood for any sort of lengthy conversation.

"You'll see it when you come to it," he said.

Which was possibly true (if they knew just what they were looking for): but it did cross my mind that they might be actually past the place by the time they got to seeing it.

So when the lady sat down I said that I would let her know when we got to the stop for the place. And then we got chatting.

She and her friends were really very pleasant. And most polite as well, when they finally got off the bus.

"Thank you, sir," and "Have a good evening!" were their parting remarks.

And it seemed to me that those few moments there on the bus were a picture of what I do.

There are different ways of interpreting what I did, of course. I mean you could conclude that I spend my life simply telling total strangers where to get off.

Which I hasten to say I don't.

But as someone who's travelling with them and who's grown to be accustmed to the way, I'm seeking to help folk journey on in life and get where they want to be.

It takes time. A lot of time.

There have been things requiring attention today along these lines which have taken a lot of time. All with the aim of getting folk where, in the end of the day, they, and we together, all desire to be.

That doesn't happen just at the click of the fingers.

There are problematic situations which require hours and hous of patient, careful work.

But if it helps folk start to travel and gets them where they hope to be, then it's time well spent.

The evening was like that as well. More slow and patient progress, as I try and help a person as this person seeks to walk the Jesus 'way'.