Costa Rica involved a lot of public transportation.
Our daily routine could include anywhere from 2-4 different buses and oftentimes a taxi depending on the days activities. I’m proud to say that by the end of the month I could almost always flag down the right bus long before the miniscule writing above the windshield told me where it was heading.
It was on one of these bus rides that I met Heaven.
The bus was super crowded that day as I made my way to the back where there was usually more room to stand. As my eyes skimmed over the faces of countless commuters, I noticed a window seat in the very last row. I gathered my purse to my chest and prepared to awkwardly maneuver across legs when a young woman with a child shifted over, leaving her seat open for me. I thanked her and we sat side by side staring into space as we waited to get where we were going.
I usually love meeting new people and talking to strangers, but in Costa Rica I found myself engaging less and less with the people around me. I started to feel heavy and discouraged about halfway through the month and I gave up trying to exert the energy needed to break the language barrier.But even though I felt like tuning out for the hour long bus ride home, I decided to strike up a conversation; because you never know what God will do if you’re willing to try.
So I said hello, and for a few minutes the conversation was really shallow. We talked about the traffic (which was at a standstill). We talked about the mall we had just come from and where we were from. But then we started talking about life. And it made me come alive. Energy that had not been there seconds before started coursing through me as I engaged in meaningful conversation.
We started talking about our families and passions and what we would like to do with our lives. I told her about my trip and she shared that she would love to do something like the World Race. She was a Christian and came from a church that was very involved with sending out missionaries. She said she was learning English so she could help with translation. We laughed and talked for over a half hour, and as she prepared to get off the bus I prayed for her; that God would enrich and bless her dreams greatly.
The funny thing was that in a lull in the conversation, about halfway through, I realized that I had shared so much with this young woman, and I didn’t even know her name. Laughing a little I introduced myself and with a smile she said, “Nice to meet you, my name is Heaven.”
It was such a simple connection. A brief moment in time, but it was a moment I remember vividly, even now as I write from Thailand, a million miles away.
I want to embrace every moment. Don't you?
Whether it’s on a bus on your way to class or work, or in a coffee shop when you have nothing to do and neither does the person next to you, you never know what connections you’ll make just by saying hello.
"Do not forget to entertain strangers for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."
~ Hebrews 13:2
Sending lots of love from Thailand as I recap Costa Rica! 🙂
Be blessed!
~Chelle
