Who would have thought that so many lessons could be learnt from a weekly train journey? I have found that God doesn’t always use a booming voice to speak to us or an emotional sermon. Most times, he uses our everyday interactions and events to speak to us. I was on one of my weekly train journeys, everything was going according to the usual plan until the train got to to a particular station, stopped and did not move again for another 30 minutes. Well this is not uncommon, I assumed it was a signal failure which has happened many times before. To my surprise, the train guard announced that the train had broken down and we have to move to a replacement train on the opposite platform. I rushed to the other train and managed to secure a seat between carriages as the carriages were filled up.
Now this is the interesting part. After 5 minutes, the train guard announced that there seems to be a problem with this train too! He said we could wait or there was another possible train we could take. Many people started getting off the train to catch the other train. I wasn’t sure what to do. Looking back, I know that the Holy Spirit whispered to me to stay on the train. What did I do? I followed the others off the train! It looked to me that the train I was on wasn’t going anywhere. I had a meeting to get to which I was already late for and I thought ‘If I wait any longer I will miss the other train’. I ran to the other train. As I got to the platform to board it, the train I was on before pulled out of the station!! Yes the one that the Holy Spirit said I should stay on left and I was standing on the platform in shock! I got on to this alternative train which by the way was not going direct to my destination unlike the one I got off. I could not find a seat and had to stand for the remaining 1 hour 30 minutes! I felt very foolish. I had added an extra 30 minutes to my journey making me even later and I had no seat.
I’m sharing this to highlight the importance of listening to the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit. I looked at those around me and felt that if everyone else was getting off the train, it would be unwise for me to stay. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will give us an instruction that doesn’t seem to make sense but He has seen what we cannot see. Out of our unwillingness to be patient and listen, we just rush ahead and make a decision that can have serious repercussions. I am praying for the grace to listen and obey, will you join me?
