People, Stories, Life and Happy Endings

[deacon blues]

Standing at the Trinity Railway Station in Dallas, I had time to watch people as they disembarked or boarded another train on the other side of the terminal. A mother and her daughter anxiously awaited the arrival of a loved one. A family of five carefully navigated the crowd with their luggage in tow, dad and mom checking on the kids to make sure they weren't lost in the shuffle. A woman walked away from the line of passengers waving one last time to someone I couldn't see, and then turning, her face beginning to betray the emotion welling up inside her. She began to weep as I walked passed her. Many others were alone, like me, with no one to say hi to or goodbye to. A mass of people. All individuals, yet collectively a patchwork of humanity.

As I boarded my train, there was a young couple, obviously in love cuddling in their seats. There was the man, with a book in his hand, a drink in the other, plopping down across from me, banging his head against a metal box. He reacted with an expletive. He said, "As many times as I've been on these trains, you'd think I'd remember that thing was there." We kind of chuckled together. That was his signal. I would be a willing listener. He began to talk for the next 30 minutes.

He shared about his truck driving career. He talked about the kind of money he used to make. He mentioned time spent in jail. He told me about his disability and his need for both knee replacement and hip replacement surgery. I noticed his accent was definitely not Texan. I was right, he was from Michigan. He grew up just outside of East Lansing. He was a Wolverine fan until they fired Bo Schembechler. He still roots for the Michigan State Spartans.

You'd never believe it, but once there was a time when love was in his life. He used to make really good money driving, but she spent the money as fast as he could make it. Whatever happened to that flame, he never disclosed, but it had obviously been over for a while. He mused that the next woman would never know how much money he had unless she had given money to him.

We arrived at my destination. We exchanged farewells. He had talked 98% of the time. I listened mostly, taking this character in. I made a wrong turn, missed my connection. I had to wait an extra 30 minutes for the next train. I had time to think about all I had seen and heard.

Everyone has a story to tell. Its unique and personal. Some tales are happy and joyful. Some are filled with love and laughter. Some are filled with difficulty and pain. Most stories are a concoction of all of the above. People fall in love, they break up, they make money, they lose it, they celebrate happy reunions, they mourn tearful goodbyes. Life is complex and unpredictable.

And yet, we live. Life is a gift from God. Every day is an opportunity to cherish our loved ones and friends. Every day is a chance to help put smiles on people's faces, to wipe away someone's tears, to listen to someone's fears and anxieties, to encourage someone, to lend a hand, to show them grace and kindness.

Every day is a chance to walk with Jesus and to see the world through His eyes. To feel a fraction of what He feels for every soul. To sense that people are to be pitied and that they need compassion and mercy.

I wish I could save everyone. I wish I could save someone. Shoot, I can't even save myself. Spending time with people and being surrounded by people its obvious mankind is poor and lost and blind and weak. We need a Savior.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He's the Savior of the World. He is able to reach any of us. He can mend the brokenhearted, deliver the captives, heal the sick, restore the outcast, transform the unwanted, rescue the lost. There is no one beyond His reach! There is no story so tragic or regrettable that He cannot rewrite the tale and bring it to a happy ending.