Rail Replacement Bus
Life can be like a journey on the rail replacement bus
Last weekend I went on the train to pick Micah up from a youth weekend away. For those that have travelled by train in the UK, especially on Sundays, you will know that things do not always go to the timetable. I had to change at Leeds station and went to the screen to find out what platform my next train was leaving from. Crowded under the screen was a large group of people waiting for an update about their delayed train service, as I scanned for my train details there was a united groan from the crowd as their train displayed the words…. Rail Replacement Bus.
For those not familiar with the British rail system, our railway routes often take shorter more direct routes between villages, towns and cities, compared to our wiggly and winding road network. I can get a train from Newark to the centre of York city in 45 minutes on the very straight East Coast Mainline, if I drive it would take me 90 minutes to get into the centre of York. So, when a train is not running, the Rail Replacement Bus will always take longer to get you to your destination, it will take a different route and will often have extra stops along the way.
Life can be like a Rail Replacement Bus journey. We have an idea of the different stops we desire on our journey - pass exams, study at university, get married, have children, buy a car, buy a house, become a grandparent, and so on. We have an idea of how we think we should get to those different destinations and the timescales to get there. Unfortunately, life rarely turns out how we had planned and the journey is different to how we imagined.
Changed plans aren’t always negative. When I was fifteen my teachers encouraged me to set my sights on trying to get the grades for medicine, not just nursing. I was capable of the grades, and I would still be able to help people. My GCSE exam year was a difficult year for us as a family, and I didn’t work as hard as I could have. I didn’t get the grades to be able to apply for medicine at university.
Anyone that knows me will know how grateful I am that I didn’t get the grades I needed, I am a nurse and I love being a nurse. I am sure I could have trained to be a competent doctor but I would have missed out on some of the aspects of nursing care that I really love, helping children cope with difficult procedures and supporting families through the ups and downs of a ill child whether an acute episode or through more chronic situations as I do in my work now. Nursing is the right profession for me.
Returning to the bus analogy, when you are on that bus, on a different journey to the one you expected, you may not know or understand the route you are taking. Most people will just sit back and wait for their stop. They can sit and relax, even if the journey is not known to them, because they know two things, the driver knows where he is going and they will reach their destination.
As a family we have known lots of changed plans and different directions, but Drew and I have been able to rest in the knowledge that we know the driver and the destination. In Proverbs 16:9 it says, ‘In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.’ There are no accidents on our journey because God is in control.
The destination is secure, regardless of the circuitous route ahead. The final stop will be an eternal future in heaven with God.
‘Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.’ Philippians 3:20-21.
What a great end to that journey. Heaven with no more selfish people, no more overbearing politicians or money grabbing executives. We will be in the right place, with God on the throne and bodies that do not suffer the pain and decay of this broken world. Knowing that for me and my family that is our destination gives us hope and comfort when things don’t go how we expected. What about you? Do you have that secure hope in your future to help you as you navigate this difficult journey of life?
I hope and pray that you do. If you don’t and want to know more then please ask me!
I leave you with a song that talks about the joy of knowing that Jesus determines our steps.
If you would like to get these newsletters straight in your inbox for free, hit the button below
As a city bus driver, I was able to visualize this very well! People sit back and expect me to know the route and get them where they are going. They never question it. Oh that we could have that same faith with the Lord!