What I learned from riding the Metro, Buses and Trams

I discovered this week that God is teaching me some very valuable lessons while we settle into our new lives in Ukraine. I was sharing about this with a friend and as I re-read what I had written to her, I suddenly realized how much God has been stretching me. We talked a lot with our summer team to Zhytomer about how all of us were being stretched. Since we first started to come to Ukriane, we have talked about being flexible. God put these two words together in my head this past week as I was stretching before attempting to jog around the track by our apartment house (it gets harder to exercise with each passing year.) Wow! The thought came that we cannot become more flexible unless we stretch first and that is just what God is doing for us. He is making us more flexible so he can use us more and more.



So, I want to share the thought that I had sent to my friend: It's so hot and muggy here--I think it's a lot like the weather in Florida. I'm just not used to it. Last week the public transportation issue really got to both of us, especially me. I got into a mood where I just didn't want to travel on the trams, metro, or buses. Ï was tired of all the pushing & shoving to try to get a seat (I felt like I was starting to want to do that as well and I just didn't want to be like that), sweaty bodies against me, and waiting in the hot sun for a tram or bus. I was feeling very sorry for myself and I couldn't take my thoughts off of it. Then, one day as I was traveling, I suddenly pictured Jesus with crowds surrounding Him as He ministered to people's needs. It was hot and probably muggy and everyone wanted something from Him. I''m sure He was pushed and shoved and hot. A couple days later I read the account of where He was teaching, got into Peter's boat and taught from it. As I read, I realized that there were times when He needed to have a little space as well. I suddenly realized that at some point we will be able to buy a vehicle of some sort yet most of the people who use the public transportation system will never be able to. No wonder they push and shove and don't seem to care. There's no hope for something different. This week I have had no trouble riding, even in dense crowds. It's as though God wanted me to learn something very significant here--about myself and my selfishness, about the people I see every day and whom we will be working with, about His grace. The panic is no longer there and I have actually begun again to enjoy watching people and trying to get a smile from them."

Life is a learning experience. May we all keep learning from our failures and successes.