You didn't catch the bus.... SO WHAT?
CHRIST IN TRAINING
Ella
6/8/20262 min read
As usual, I write fresh off a firsthand experience of chasing the metro like a desperate ex... so I didn’t catch my bus. What’s the big deal?
For context, the public transportation on this side of the world has specific routes with designated stops at appointed times. With a valid pass in hand, we hop on and ride to our next adventures. Every bus runs a different route, just like life. Each ride is a little different from the other, with a different driver and a different set of individuals with unique stories travelling alongside. When I miss a bus, it usually has a ripple effect on the rest of my decisions for the day. I’m either late to work at the very least or miss out on a singular experience that could alter my life at the most. Taking a different bus could mean ending up at a destination I was not meant for (sound like your ex yet?) or calling a cab, which usually means less drive time in normal cities (all the shade to Toronto), means less time for reflecting on my day ahead, plus an extra avoidable expense. While all this may seem highly significant, is it really? Why do we give so much attention to the buses we miss, rather than the 100s we catch?
Since the world was created, the human mind tends to focus on more negatives than positives, no matter how many there are. For this reason, the psalmist writes in 103:2, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits”, because trust me, it is extremely easy to forget all the times God has shown up when we face disappointment. As a Christian, I must make the conscious decision to bless the Lord from the moment I wake up till I fall asleep because the devil makes a conscious decision to steal our joy.
The children of Israel quickly come to mind, constantly grumbling about what was not given to them immediately, rather than offering constant praise for what was. When I relate it back to myself, a mirrored pattern is clear; Even when I complained about an issue, the blessing was staring back at me. Tuition not paid in full. Exam still got written, ran out of salt? Blessed to live next door to a generous friend, and for goodness’ sake, missed the bus? The consequences were never as great as my mind had played them out. In fact, I became grateful for how far I’ve come from having no other option than to wait in the freezing cold to being able to pay for my own cab.
I leave you with this: rather than raging and cursing, let God heal the actual wounds you’re nursing. Anxiety, guised as performative perfectionism, never ends at missed bussing.