“I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick…” — Ezekiel 34:16
On our train trip to NJ, we made many stops along our journey. First we went to Lynchburg, then onto Charlottesville. At that point a large number of folks boarded our car. On we went to Manasses and Gainesville. We lost some time through that area and had to sit and wait on the tracks for a short while. We also seemed to be moving at turtle speed through those congested sections of DC.
Before we reached the Washington station, the conductor came on the loud speaker and announced that our time would be cut short in Washington and discouraged us from going inside the station. Just to be safe, we stayed on the train. I had packed a large bag of pistachios, dried banana chips and mangos. Bai water and water were in both our bags. We could make it to NJ with no need for additional food, we had our emergency stash.
The train switched engines and we were soon on our way. Our first stop was New Carolton then Baltimore followed by BWI. It was at that time a thin elderly lady jumped up from her seat, looked at us and asked had we already passed Baltimore. We told her we had. A look of horror crossed her face.
“I’ve missed my stop!” She trotted down the aisle to find the conductor. A few minutes later, she came back and sat down on the seats across from us, about to burst into tears. She let out a big sigh… A troubled frown lingered on her lips.
We immediately started talking to her, comforting her, telling her it was understandable because the speaker volume was very low. She looked at us and said, “Thank you for being so kind to me.”
In five minutes, she told us her life history, about the stress of her daughter who was going through a divorce and how she was trying to help her pack and move her children to another city. She was stressed out and just exhausted. Thinking about her stop had gotten lost in the emotion of the day. This was just one more problem increasing life’s already heavy burdens. Everything seemed to be pressing in now on every side to discourage and distract her.
Have you ever been going along and thinking everything was fine…. until you realized something was terribly wrong? You had no idea of where you were or how to get to your destination? You were lost.
That was our traveling companion at that moment. When that has happened to you, how did you get out of that situation? Did the Lord send an angel along the way to help you?
Her story ended well, the conductor called ahead to the next station, got her ticket straight and she was able to get back to Baltimore without additional cost. She was very thankful.
We are all deeply indebted, too, that Jesus is always seeking the lost. He uses us in some of the most unexpected places at the most unplanned times to lift another traveler up and point them to him. Or sometimes we are the ones who are lost.
Today you will be walking with many weary travelers. You have the map and compass. Praying you have an abundance of strength and compassion to bless all you touch along your journey. You make a tremendous difference to everyone you meet. You will be the guide to help the lost along your way today and get them back on the track.
Have a great day everyone,
Kim
Kim Eckenroth, MS, APRN, FNP-C, Gentle Shepherd’s co-founder and vice president overseeing patient care, often writes devotionals for our staff. We thought you might also appreciate them, so we created a special section on our blog to share them with you. We hope they touch your heart too.
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