Hop on the Bus, Gus

There is something that never fails to amaze me on my drive to work every morning. It’s so silly that this something catches my eye. It’s such a common ordinary everyday kind of something.
It’s people standing at bus stops.
I have never ridden on a public bus (is that even what they’re called?) I think the proper name might be Smart bus. Never ridden one of those either.
Here what I’m picturing though; smelly, a little warm in a moist and unpleasant way, bumpy and uncomfortable. WAY too much of people in my personal space.
But every morning there they are; people waiting for a bus.
I still remember pulling out of the hospital parking lot during the dog days of summer. And there it was again. The phenomena. This time it was a man, probably 50 something, sitting on the ground leaning against the bus stop sign. The outside temperature gauge on my truck read 91 degrees. And he was surrounded by about 4 or 5 grocery bags full of groceries.
I thought about that guy all the way home.
I kept picturing this guy and all the other people out there at bus stops at 6:00 in the morning or at quitting time heading home.
What God? What do you want me to notice? What am I not getting?
Look at how determined they are to get where they need to go. And look at how easy your traveling is, and yet, you don’t seem to want to move very far.
Far from? My comfort zone, the easy way out, the basic requirements, the status quo.
The simple truth is that if it ain’t relatively easy, I probably ain’t gonna pursue it.
But sometimes to get to the good stuff, you’ve gotta walk a few blocks and get on the Smart bus (hmm, Smart bus huh?) You have to stand at the bus stop and wait for the opportunity to hop on. You have to pay a little something for the ride, even though you might not have chosen this mode of travel given other options. You may even have carry some bags that feel too heavy but you know they are your responsibility.
You might have to endure the discomfort of a hot and sunny afternoon while you wait.
It seems like every time I reach this or that milestone I want to stop. Ok, I did what you told me to do Lord. I got here. Now leave me alone.
I want to lay back now and stay where I am. I worked hard to get here, just leave me be, wouldya?
But no. There seems to be no final destination. I get a slight reprieve and then He starts prodding me to do something else.
Can’t I just maintain this?
Nope.
I went back to school and did my Associates Degree in a year and a half. Are we done?
No, get a job.
I got a job that I’m pretty happy with. Are we done?
No, ask for a promotion.
I got the promotion. Are we done?
No...
Now guess what?
Go back to school. Get your Bachelor’s Degree.
Ok, I’m seeing a pattern here. Hold on just a minute. You’re never gonna quit with me are you? You’re gonna make me get my Master’s Degree aren’t you?
Yes.
So it’s back to the bus stop for me. Back on the stinky smelly bumpy ride to get where I need to be. Back to the process I would rather avoid.
Back to moving to a different spot and carrying my bags (and apparently books) along the way.
Back to uncomfortable and tired and working instead of coasting.
Remember all those people at the bus stops? Here’s the thing. They may not have gotten the limo ride to the penthouse, but they were in motion anyway. They are determined enough to get where they need to go to walk to the bus stop and wait for a ride.
Guess God’s going to take me somewhere too. I just gotta stop avoiding the bus.
Wanna come?

Psalm 116:8-10
For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.