The only happy people on the train today were the musicians. They always begin with a dirge, pick up the pace with something cheerful, then walk around with a donation cup. I like reliable things and instead of a train every seven minutes, they came every 30 minutes and were so crowded – no explanation but a recorded apology in German over the speaker. All of the waiting makes me nervous because the playful kids play too closely to the tracks for me. I keep a watchful eye but don’t look down at a train station which is filthy with cigarette butts and other disgusting things. Today the library is closed so I thought I would catch up on cleaning and laundry but that’s challenging in a boarding house. No one knows your name and if the basement washer is still full of unattended clothes, you give up and take a train! I am receiving more than I ever give. Expecting shopkeepers to understand my language is not right so I use my phone for translation and was hoping to find something for an occasional headache – paracetamol – and then I have to google how many AL500. I am also refilling a chewable multi-vitamin, and so forth. Everyone was helpful and I did see some people today. I wish I were sharper with language but sat next to someone I’ve ridden with before. We just smiled and I said “on time today”. Then I invited my next-door (literally) neighbor to dinner out and she said she is packing to return to India tomorrow for three months. I’ll never see her again and will have a new neighbor tomorrow. It took my nerves to invite a stranger out but how else can I feel I’m connecting? The library is wonderful but also passive. Relationship will come but it does take time and helps me to see how I can be even more strategic with people when I return home where I do have a head start on language. What is the lesson? Again, to see people wherever you happen to be. God has it all figured out and we just practice obedience. Is that word offensive? Am I not the boss of myself? Nope – not allowed once you give your heart to Jesus – the safest place to put it. To digress, I just checked on the laundry and these washers go for about two hours. Someone is cooking in the kitchen and it must be cabbage. This is a reminder that I can do better. I can complain in detail about lots of things but then God could say a lot about me. I’ve completed a second reading of ‘Unoffendable’ by Brant Hansen, and I quote, “God doesn’t love all the things we do. He loves us in spite of the things we do”, pg 150. And, “Because they did not know that God makes people right with Him, they tried to make themselves right in their own way. So they did not accept God’s way of making people right. Christ ended the law so that everyone who believes in Him may be right with God. (Rom 10:3-4 NCV). Everyone.
