Lessons on a Train

10/27/2008

Son,

I'm missing you while I'm out of town for a few days for the Missouri Baptist Convention. I got up early this morning so I could ride a train to St. Louis. I know you would have really liked to have been on the train with me. It seems like you have always liked trains. I was reminded of a few things, a few life lessons, while making my trip.

First of all, I was amazed by how cheap I was able to travel by train from Lee’s Summit to St. Louis. It was definitely cheaper than if I had driven, even with the cheaper gas prices. How is possible for it to be so cheap? Because there are many people on the train. It makes me think about how God wants us to work together, like when He says that “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). And then when He talks about how we’re all supposed to work together in the church, when He compares the church to the body: “For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body – so also is Christ” (I Corinthians 12:12-31). God can accomplish much through the church. But that only works if they are all Christians and there is unity. If we were all trying to go different directions on the train, it really wouldn’t have worked very well.

It is a chilly fall day today, but we rode past a golf course, and sure enough there were some golfers out there (some in stocking hats). You know I don’t do much golfing, but when I do, I prefer it to be a nice sunny day, not too hot and not too cold. I guess golfing must be important to these folks out there on the fairway today. If it’s important, you stick with it no matter what the weather. That’s why Paul said to Timothy, “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season” (II Timothy 4:2). God’s Word is the important thing. Don’t ever forget or minimize how important God’s Word is.

Along the way, we had to stop from time to time to let a freight train go by. I think there were also times when a freight train had to wait for us to get by. Everybody has to wait. Sometimes it’s hard to wait. But if nobody waited, we would have crashed into the freight train. And then we would definitely be waiting. Jesus says the ones who want to be first will end up being last (Mark 10:31) and Paul reminds us to put others ahead of ourselves (Philippians 2:3).

There was a lot of pretty scenery today. There were wonderful woods with creeks winding through them. There were fields of recently harvested corn and what looked to me like ready to be harvested beans. And there were several towns that we rode past, some of which I would describe as “struggling.” But I would imagine that they have been that way, doing what they’re doing, for so long that they don’t think of it as struggling anymore. It’s just the way life is. And maybe they’ve grown to be content with what they have. There’s a lot of financial worries out there these days, but God wants us to be content with whatever He gives us, like Paul learned to be (Philippians 4:11-13).

One thing I noticed that struck my attention was a basketball court, a slab of concrete and goals at either end. From the brief and distant look I got of it, it looked like it was probably built 30 or 40 years ago, and was suffering from neglect. It was set off a little ways from a row of houses. I’m sure some of those houses must have been homes to families with children old enough to enjoy a good game of basketball. But no one was taking care of this place. I’ve not been very good at teaching you to take care of your stuff. But God has given you some very important stuff, too (and I believe He is going to give you other very important stuff in the future as well). And I hope you will not let those things become neglected and forgotten. Paul reminded Timothy to “do not neglect the gift that is in you” but encouraged him to focus on this gift from God and use it (I Timothy 4:14-16).

The scenery was nice, but I was really hoping for some pretty fall foliage. I didn’t notice much for quite a while. There were various shades of green, and then some dull oranges and browns, but no vibrant reds and oranges and yellows. And then, very late in the trip, this glorious clifftop full of reds appeared. So be patient; wait for God’s beauty. If you settle for what comes along at the first, you may miss what God has coming up. God “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

There were all sorts of people on this train ride with me to St. Louis. There were young people, old people, families, people like me traveling alone. There were young men who should have been old enough to know that the seat of their pants belongs on the part of the body that hits the seat. Sometimes, people that are different can make us uncomfortable, for no other reason than just because they are different. When we all get to Heaven, the Bible tells us that there will be people from every group there (Revelation 7:9). So I guess we need to get started now trying to move past that uncomfortableness to getting to know more about these different people.

At one station that we pulled into to let people off, I noticed families reunited – adult children helping their parents with their things, grandchildren rushing to give their grandparents a hug. The joy of those reunions displayed on their faces makes me think about how exciting it is going to be when we are reunited with those who have gone to Heaven before us, that we have been missing while we were still on earth (I Thessalonians 4:13-18).

There was one little boy, maybe three years old, who was so excited to be riding on a train. He made me think of you, of how excited you used to be about trains when you were younger like him, and how you are a little less interested in them now that you are older. I know you are not saved yet, but I pray that someday you will be. And it is quite likely that sometime after you become a Christian, that being a Christian will not seem like such an exciting thing to you. People often tend to grow in their relationship to God in spurts – there is a time of drifting away from God that reaches a point where we are pulled back to Him. I wish you would always have a very close relationship with God, or that you would always have a relationship with God that was growing closer. But that probably won’t be the case. Like you have drifted from your interest in trains, you will probably drift away from God some. When that happens, I hope you will be able to quickly recognize it, and pray as David did for God to “restore to me the joy of Your salvation” (Psalm 51:12).

The train was way too bouncy to do any reading, and I couldn’t find a comfortable position to sleep in. Sometimes when God won’t let you sleep, and works to keep you from getting distracted, He may be trying to teach you a lesson. Or reminding you of a few.

I love you, Son.

-Dad

P.S. Whenever someone tells you that it should just be about a mile and it should be an easy walk, don’t believe them. "For many deceivers have gone out into the world..." (II John 1:7)