Tears on the bus
I can’t stand crying babies. Crying children. I just can’t handle crying.
The other day I was sitting on the bus next to a young child who was crying to her mum. A screeching whinge that pierced my ears.
Immediately agitated - and I’m not talking about the child.
Lack of grace
In working with children I have the understanding that crying is more often than not, a result of an unmet need. A result of the inability to fully comprehend and communicate the emotions they’re experiencing.
With this understanding, I’d love to have more grace than what I do.
I didn’t at this moment.
A stranger’s smile
Yet, moments later, once the agitation had passed for both of us, and in a moment of quiet, we both glanced over at each other.
And I smiled.
Not falsely. With genuineness.With love.
With recognition that in that moment that’s all she needed. To see the grumpy stranger smile back at her.
A God’s smile
I wonder how often God smiles back at us. Without the agitation. Without the preceding grump. Without fail.
Whether we’re sat opposite Him relentlessly expressing frustration and sadness through tears.
Or sitting right next to him, quietly uncomfortable with feelings of hurt and grief bottled up deep inside.
Whether He’s across the aisle, in the seat in front, behind or sat right next to us. I wonder how He sits there with us.
Where does He sit on your bus?
Sat with
As I was pondering this thought seated across from the child at the front of the bus, these song lyrics played in my ears:
“You see me.
You see my heart.
Through the eyes of your mercy, in the light of your Son.
You love me with open arms.”
That’s how He sits there with us.
Sat with us
Sat with readiness and open arms. Sat with love. With mercy. Patience. Comfort.
No agitation to our cries or discomfort with our noise. No grumpiness towards the intrusion of our presence in His.
In fact, no concept of intrusion at all.
Our bus of life
Within the roadworks of our lives of which buses ride along, where is God on yours?
Is He at the window as the bus pulls up?
Is He greeting you as you step on?
Is He offering His seat for you? Or are you leaping to offer yours?
Is He sat quietly with the view at the front or is his gaze on you from the back?
After you’ve located the bus stop, shown your ticket and found yourself at the front of a busy bus - where do you find Him?
A ticket for two
Right there. As you scan for a seat you find Him.
Wherever it is on your bus, you see Him. And He sees you.
With mercy and light. With love and open arms, He sees you, and He smiles.
With a nodding glance to the seat next to Him He invites you to sit with Him.
And you can. So you do.
And together you enjoy a ticket for two.
Harrison is a 24-year old, raised in a non-Christian family and came to faith at 18. Having worked as a Marketing & Communications Assistant for two years after getting his Bachelor of Communications in 2019, He has swapped his home of New Zealand for Europe after a few months working at a summer Christian camp in Canada. He has a passionate personality which is illustrated in many facets of his life, from writing, to sports, food, friends, family and God. Harrison enjoys exploring and grasping different parts of life and discussing them with others. Chat with Harrison further at: harrisonbellve@gmail.com