A Lesson In Humility - Part 2
Originally Published November 24, 2008
I headed out the door in plenty of time to catch the bus. I was so very happy that it was Friday - finally an end to a horrible week. As I had done all week, I cried as I walked up the street. How could it come to this? How did I end up back in Rochester, in the snow, and walking to the bus stop with my hot little car parked in the driveway? Why had God done this to me? I hate life!
I boarded the bus and turned up my iPod so I could drown out everything. It was now Al Jarreau's responsibility to help me get through the hell aka bus ride I had to endure.
After about five stops, the bus began to fill up. I was sitting in the front of the bus. At the next stop, a woman got on with a book bag over her shoulder and was carrying a baby in a front loading baby carrier. It was a very cold day, so she had zipped her own coat around the baby and had a blanket over the baby's head. I got up so she could have my seat. She only stayed on the bus for about 3 stops and then got off. It took me back to the days when I had to take 4 buses a day with my daughter in tow.
At the very next stop, a very young woman got on the bus with a double stroller. She had an infant in one seat and a toddler in another. The bus driver wouldn't leave the stop until she had taken both children out of the stroller. She was a tiny woman, very pretty but looked very tired. The baby was crying and the toddler was acting like - a toddler! That's when I started feeling very foolish. What the hell had I been complaining about?
I asked the young lady a few questions: Was she on her way to work? Did she have to drop the kids off at the sitter? Did she have to do this everyday? Her answer to all of my questions was, "Yes." I felt so silly for complaining about how hard I had it when this woman had so much more to deal with than me. I then looked in my purse and saw that I had $40. My grandmother always told me that you should be able to give half of what you have to help someone in need. So that's what I did - I gave her $20 and told her to take a cab home. She accepted the money with tears in her eyes and put the money in the toddler's pocket.
When I got off the bus, it was the first time in a week that I got off without tears in my eyes. I was still a little down, but feeling much better than I had. I received a text message from a good friend telling me to check my email. As soon as I got to the office, I logged on to check it. I received the most beautiful email from a friend of a friend. You see, my friend had been talking to her friend about me and my situation. He woke up that morning and wrote me an email. I won't share the entire email with you, but I will share this:
Not after, but WHILE you do YOUR ACTIVE part in the process that God sees fit to put you through, you will see Him at work. I live it. He always provides - we just don't always pay attention. He wants His Children 2 show how gr8 He is 2 others by demonstrating our faith in the midst of trials that others would have been consumed by.
In less than an hour, I felt the weight of the world lift off of my shoulders. And all because of three strangers - Talk about things happening right on time!
On that day, I received my Lesson In Humility.
To the two young ladies on the bus - keep your head up, it's gonna be alright and I will continue to pray for you. And to KM - thank you so much for thinking of someone you don't even know - and hopefully the next time you are in town, she may let you come out to play. And to my beloved Kemet - Mommy misses her boo-boo. I hope they have lots of tennis balls and Beggin Strips up there for you. I'll see you up there one day.
God Bless,
The Dean's List
I boarded the bus and turned up my iPod so I could drown out everything. It was now Al Jarreau's responsibility to help me get through the hell aka bus ride I had to endure.
After about five stops, the bus began to fill up. I was sitting in the front of the bus. At the next stop, a woman got on with a book bag over her shoulder and was carrying a baby in a front loading baby carrier. It was a very cold day, so she had zipped her own coat around the baby and had a blanket over the baby's head. I got up so she could have my seat. She only stayed on the bus for about 3 stops and then got off. It took me back to the days when I had to take 4 buses a day with my daughter in tow.
At the very next stop, a very young woman got on the bus with a double stroller. She had an infant in one seat and a toddler in another. The bus driver wouldn't leave the stop until she had taken both children out of the stroller. She was a tiny woman, very pretty but looked very tired. The baby was crying and the toddler was acting like - a toddler! That's when I started feeling very foolish. What the hell had I been complaining about?
I asked the young lady a few questions: Was she on her way to work? Did she have to drop the kids off at the sitter? Did she have to do this everyday? Her answer to all of my questions was, "Yes." I felt so silly for complaining about how hard I had it when this woman had so much more to deal with than me. I then looked in my purse and saw that I had $40. My grandmother always told me that you should be able to give half of what you have to help someone in need. So that's what I did - I gave her $20 and told her to take a cab home. She accepted the money with tears in her eyes and put the money in the toddler's pocket.
When I got off the bus, it was the first time in a week that I got off without tears in my eyes. I was still a little down, but feeling much better than I had. I received a text message from a good friend telling me to check my email. As soon as I got to the office, I logged on to check it. I received the most beautiful email from a friend of a friend. You see, my friend had been talking to her friend about me and my situation. He woke up that morning and wrote me an email. I won't share the entire email with you, but I will share this:
Not after, but WHILE you do YOUR ACTIVE part in the process that God sees fit to put you through, you will see Him at work. I live it. He always provides - we just don't always pay attention. He wants His Children 2 show how gr8 He is 2 others by demonstrating our faith in the midst of trials that others would have been consumed by.
In less than an hour, I felt the weight of the world lift off of my shoulders. And all because of three strangers - Talk about things happening right on time!
On that day, I received my Lesson In Humility.
To the two young ladies on the bus - keep your head up, it's gonna be alright and I will continue to pray for you. And to KM - thank you so much for thinking of someone you don't even know - and hopefully the next time you are in town, she may let you come out to play. And to my beloved Kemet - Mommy misses her boo-boo. I hope they have lots of tennis balls and Beggin Strips up there for you. I'll see you up there one day.
God Bless,
The Dean's List
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