Out Of Service

Recently, while waiting for a bus to take me to an airport parking lot, bus after bus passed by the “waiting zone” without stopping or even pausing. Tired and exhausted, I was puzzled and frustrated until I noticed that they had signs in their windows that read OUT OF SERVICE!

There I stood waiting and wondering, part of a crowd but still alone, left in the exhaust and noise of empty buses. I waited for quite some time until one came to take me to my vehicle.

While waiting I thought of those standing around me. No doubt they, too, were anxious to get to their destination. Perhaps they had been on a long, lonely journey and were discouraged with the results of their efforts. Maybe they were fearful of what might be awaiting them, knowing that a loved one was sick and in pain. And, of course, some were filled with joy and the expectations of a happy homecoming to a welcoming family or friends.

As I waited with them, I was reminded of all the people that God brings into my life, who like me, are on life’s journey. Everyone faces the same issues at one time or another: good days and bad ones, successes and failures, sickness and health, life and death. Unfortunately, many whom we see every day face their problems alone because no one is willing to provide help or hope. Like the buses, we neglect to recognize their needs; we are “OUT OF SERVICE.”

Jesus said, “Look around you! Vast fields are ready right now for the harvest.”

Prayer: Help us, Father, to willingly serve You by serving others. Open our eyes to see the needs of others, open our ears to hear their cries, and share Your love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: John 4:34-38 But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.