This post is going to be short and sweet, but it is a story that has not left my heart since it happened.
In Central America we use local transportation, namely “chicken busses.” Chicken busses are T R I C K E D – O U T school busses sent to Latin America from the United States. They makeover these busses, I am talking about subwoofers, colorful paint, TV screens and new seats. It is usually a tight squeeze on these busses. They seat 3-4 people on each seat on both sides and then jam as many people as possible (and then some) in the middle isle running between the two rows of seats.
This past Wednesday the bus was especially crowded coming back to Chimaltenango from Antigua. I stood in the isle to let a woman and her two sons sit. Her toddler sat on her lap and her older son, I imagine he was 7-9 years old, sat by her side on the outside of the seat.
As the bus flew around curves and the engine roared the little boy struggled to stay on his seat and grabbed hold of my leg. When the curves straightened out he did not let go of my leg. He held on. As we continued driving he leaned his head on my hip and periodically looked up at me and smiled. He had the most genuine smile on his face. I held his back upright as we sped around more curves and smiled at him every time he would look up at me. As the road straightened out again he grabbed hold of my leg and nuzzled his face into my side.
I never learned this little boy’s name before he got off the bus with his family, but I felt a connection with him and his family. The Lord’s love works in ways that can not be fathomed by the human mind. Whether or not he felt loved by me I don’t know, but I felt loved by him. And by God through Him. I imagine the Lord saying to me, “Caroline, grab a hold of My leg as we go around the curves and snuggle your face into My side. I will hold you all the way home.”
I will never forget this little boy and his family. The kind smiles they all gave me as they got off the bus that day. The love in each of their eyes. The lessons they taught me without a single word ever being uttered.
