In the last 2 months I have spent a good bit of time on a bus…
Fresh out of the States we land in Hyderabad, India. We are informed of a 7 hour bus ride to the city we are staying in for the next few days. We grab our luggage off the conveyor belt and go outside to wait for the bus. I have NO idea what to expect. We stand there for over an hour anxiously awaiting our bus. We finally see it coming! In huge letters on the side of the bus it boasts "AIR CONDITIONING" and I think it might have even had the word LUXURY printed somewhere on it too. I'm excited to get on the bus and enjoy the A/C after standing outside in the hot, humid Indian weather. We take turns throwing our packs in the filthy luggage bins underneath the bus. My clothes getting dirty in the process. We cram on the bus and realize we are about 10 seats short so we fill all the seats and line the isle. Our only solution is ride like this for an hour to the next bus stop and wait for a second bus. As everyone is finding a place on the bus to position themselves for the next hour I realize that in this case "A/C" means Air Current from the open windows. So, no cool air but at least its moving air. The bus is dirty and dilapidated. I am pouring sweat the whole time and praying not to get car sick from the abrupt traffic maneuvers. My ears are also assaulted by the constant sounds of blaring car horns. We make 3 stops on our 7 hour trip. One to drop off all the people who did not get a seat on this bus, one to take a bathroom break (which consisted of walking several hundred feet off the main road in pitch black to squat over some prickly bushes) and one so the driver can get something to eat while we sit in the stiff, stale, humid air on the bus. I sleep on and off between these stops waking up for one of several reasons: profuse sweating, the rain that is coming in the window, the shrill bus horn or a random big bump that we have hit. But my experience isn't the worst one of all… I also heard a rumor that someone peed in the seat while they were sleeping and then had no choice but to sit in it the rest of the night until we made it to our destination…. With a bus ride like this one you get acclimated quick!
Now, fast forward to a few days ago. We again are informed of a 7 hour bus ride to our ministry site for the month. I am a little apprehensive to say the least. We arrive at the Bangkok bus station and find it is air conditioned and it is complete with a legit food court, a KFC and a 7/11 inside. Things are already looking up. Now the time has come and we go to board the bus. Its something like a palace on wheels…. at least after what I'm used to at this point. It is clean and roomy. . And yes… It is air conditioned. So much so they provide complimentary blankets for everyone. I cover up immediately. Even after all this time in tropical weather, I'm still cold natured! I snuggle down in my recliner, under my warm blanket, in front of the big screen hanging in the front of the bus and watch the Thai soap Opera that is on. Me and Courtney make up our own lines about the guy and girl who are in love with each other but can't be together (hence all the crying the girl is doing) But then we realize they are at a funeral….ooops. Anyway, as we pull away from the station a stewardess comes by with a box of snacks and a bottle of water. I can't believe it… but then I think "I shouldn't drink the water or I'll have to pee before the 7 hours is up"… oh wait there is a bathroom on this bus too! I don't even know what to think at this point, but I say "nah forget it, yo homes to Bel-air" And the rest of the ride is history as I snoozed away 🙂
Those are two extremes in my travels thus far. Which brings me to the bus analogy the Lord gave me one day in Nepal. In all of the countries I have visited so far public transportation involves cramming more people than you thought possible inside of the bus. On these bus rides I would sit there and think "there is no possible way they could fit even one more person in this bus" , but inevitably they would always manage to squeeze 5…10…15 more people on. Literally. Every time. One day the Lord told me that's how it is when it comes to going deeper with Him. Sometimes I become complacent and subconsciously think "this is as far as I can go" because, honestly, I get comfortable where I am at. Inevitably though, the Lord always takes me deeper, even when it didn't look possible to me. A lot of times, I think that it is more about avoiding the work of it or to avoid feeling uncomfortable. Like when I am wedged between 4 people and straddling a bag of rice with only one little spot for my hand to hold onto as we drive over the bumpy roads. Its takes effort to hold myself upright and not squish the people around me and its uncomfortable being in that position. What I realized is that sometimes going deeper means making an effort and being momentarily uncomfortable, but its worth it once you reach the destination of where the Lord wants to take you. Just like the crammed public transportation is worth it once you finally get to where your going.
