The train was slowly inching its way out of Britomart, sure of its route following the tracks on its way to the destination at a specified speed. Everything was pinpoint precision. For as long as the coaches are on the tracks, and the train doesn’t alter its speed, me and the rest of the passengers would be in our destination on time. For as long as its on track… and I started thinking about our situation – with uncertainty, because my application for a student visa and my wife’s work permit were classified (or maybe misclassified is more precise) under S35A for Overstaying. Immigration won’t give us any timeframe as to when it will be processed. The danger of my wife losing her job made us wonder where to go what to do next. And I spend the next minutes talking with God, with more questions than answers.
“But God why are the tracks of our life now seem to go the opposite way? Should I change trains?” I asked God and He was silent.
“Why is the speed of things so slow and our hearts so empty? Am I in the right direction?” more questions, and even more silence.
Then the tracks went to a curve and I could see the coaches ahead, one after the other, following the tracks, all in the same speed, all in the same direction. And it struck me like lightning. And it suddenly became clear. He talked to me, and He continued talking, rambling, smiling, answering my questions.
| If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. John 15:7 |
It seemed so simple yet so true. It grips me with its simplicity amidst the complexity in life, and I can’t help my tears flowing down my cheeks with no apparent tracks. They just flow and it was just as well that I was in my usual seat at the back or the other passengers would have thought I’d just lost my job. No I didn’t. I lost it four months ago.
And now, my wife is facing the grim possibility of losing hers too. Her work permit application had been with Immigration for 4 months now, and its still sitting there on the table of somebody who would never know how his inaction would affect the lives of a simple family of three.
But like the train, I wish to follow the tracks even if they seem to be so slow. My wife and I prayed this morning:
“Lord, you know our desires even before we speak about it and you know our needs even before we ask you about them. So we pray not that you remove the difficulties, but that you make us stronger. But please make your will clear to us, even as we say ‘Thy will be done’.”
The train stopped and passengers started getting off the coaches. They have arrived.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.