By Beilei
“Excuse me, may I have a one-way ticket to xxx, please.”
“Sorry, the buses don’t go there.”
“Ah? I heard they do.”
“Sorry, our buses never go there. They really don’t. Next, please!”
…………
In the ticket lobby, Xiaobei was getting a bus ticket home.
She was a new trainee sales clerk. A few days ago, her colleague brought her to this place and discussed some business. However, because her colleague had to deal with other things, she had to go back home alone. Having just heard what the ticket seller said, she, who was a complete stranger there, was stunned. Walking out in a fret, with a bag on her back, she thought: “How strange! Surely I have asked about this several times, and every time I was told that there are buses going to my town. But why did the ticket seller just now tell me buses never go there? I’m unfamiliar with this place. What shall I do?” Looking around, she felt somewhat perplexed. She wasn’t very independent, for her family had done everything for her since she was young. It was the first time that she had gone far away from home. Unexpectedly, she encountered this very troublesome problem. Moreover, she had her phone stolen and thus couldn’t make a call for help. However, even if she had a phone, distant water cannot quench present thirst—the aid is too slow in coming to be of any help for it was a great distance from her home.
Standing outside and looking at the setting sun, Xiaobei was in quite a hurry. So, she prayed to God silently. Then she returned to the ticket lobby, wanting to ask whether there were other means to get home. But the result was still disappointing. With a sense of loss, she was going out, when a voice behind her suddenly said: “Are you going to xxx? I have a bus and it is on the freeway. Would you like to take it?” The unexpected voice gave her some astonishment and fear. She thought to herself: How does he know where I will go? I heard there are many pyramid schemes here. Is he involved in a pyramid scheme? She could not help thinking of a tragic experience where her sister had been tricked into a pyramid scheme, and thus her heart beat fast. At that moment, she prayed to God in her heart constantly, wishing for God to protect her. After prayer, she decided to disregard him, and then she carried on walking out. Unexpectedly, he kept up with her and continued asking her. She was so anxious and she prayed to God because the Bible says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7). Thank God for His protection! Her nervous heart slowly quieted down by praying to God. She thought of a series of things she had met that day. At first, she consulted others and learned that there were buses that could take her home, but in the actual event she found that she couldn’t get home after she came here; when she was at a loss and called out to God sincerely, the person appeared and constantly asked her … The more she thought, the more she felt that all the things which had happened were not to be expected and that what would come up afterward also could not be expected or decided by herself. She didn’t know what he was like or whether that bus really could take her home. Now, all she could do was pray to God, rely on God and obey God’s sovereignty and arrangement. After finishing praying to God quietly, she felt very steady and peaceful in her heart. Thereupon, she agreed to take the bus the strange person found. Then, he asked around and in a short while, he found a taxi to the entrance of the freeway for her.
Xiaobei arrived at the entrance of the freeway, but she saw no bus and the sky was getting dark, so she was very anxious. She could only pray to God constantly. Then a bus came over, but its destination was not her hometown. Seeing the badly damaged bus, she got on it with doubt. What she saw on the bus gave her quite a shock. There were few people on it—only a woman hugging a baby and several men in rags wearing stubble beards; and they, without expression, looked emotionless. She, continually praying to God in her heart, found a seat, sat down, and very cautiously asked the man beside her about where the bus would stop at. However, the destination he mentioned, she had never heard of; in addition, seeing the uneven dirt road out of the window, which she had never seen before, she was stunned and worried involuntarily: Is this an unlicensed vehicle? In the past I heard many victims here had been deceived by participants of pyramid schemes … She felt somewhat frightened. Her nervous tension did not dare to relax at all, and she paid attention to every little detail happening on the bus. She knew now nobody but God was her reliance, so she prayed to Him again and again. She thought of what the Bible says, “Jehovah shall preserve you from all evil: he shall preserve your soul. Jehovah shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even for ever more” (Psalms 121:7–8). These words gave her confidence. She understood: The God I believe in is the one true God who rules over everything and controls all things. All matters and all things are in God’s hand. Without God’s permission, no one can hurt me. It was because I had little faith in God that I lived in timidity and fear and was fooled by Satan. 2 Timothy 1:7 says: “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Satan is afraid that people will believe in God and rely on God with sincerity, and therefore it disturbs people’s thoughts by every possible means to let them live in fear. When she realized that it was just the trickery and disturbance of Satan that she had the fearful thoughts, she quickly called out to God. Though she didn’t know whether she was going to experience blessing or misfortune, regardless of what environment she would meet, she was willing to face it because God was with her. At this thought, her heart calmed down and meanwhile her nervous tension relaxed.
After a while, the bus conductor came to her and said: “Missy, please get your things, and prepare to get off.” It gave her a shock to see the wilderness with nobody living nearby: Where is this? The middle of nowhere. At this time, the conductor handed her some change and told her to wait for the next bus. Before she had finished counting her change, she saw a bus in the distance slowly moving toward her, with several familiar words leaping out at her. At that moment, her excited tears nearly started falling. Then, she got on the bus home and sat down on the only unoccupied seat. Looking out the window and seeing everything familiar, she constantly thanked God in her heart.
After that, every time she thought of this experience, she would feel very warm in her heart. It was God’s guidance and help that gave her hope in an awkward situation. Furthermore she tasted God’s love and care for her. God was beside her as her timely guide and help. When she prayed to Him and depended on Him genuinely, He opened up a way out and arranged everything very appropriately for her!
Recalling God’s love, her heart melted. She prayed to Him silently: “O, God! From now on, whatever environments I encounter, I won’t be afraid, for You are my shelter and supporter. In the future I’m willing to rely on You to experience all manner of environments and trials and strive to seek after truths. Amen!”
