Passenger # 18 - A Teacher

 

Passenger # 18 – A Teacher

Like our Religious Leader, our Teacher has a reached a crossroad in her career.  The past twenty years have been enjoyable and rewarding.  In reflecting on the past, she realizes that she has been a positive influence on many young people and wishes to continue for a while.  So what is causing her to rethink her life right now?

Our teacher has a long list of things she wishes to do---we call it a bucket list.  She sees the years flying by at quite a quick pace.  At the same time, the demands from her career are changing at the speed of light!  So many new demands on her time and lots of changes in expectations!  Quietly she knows that much of the change could be good for the children she serves and she actually thinks she could handle the changes.  Her greatest challenge is in her work climate.  Her school leaders are uninspiring and frustrated which is being passed around generously to her fellow teachers.  So much negative spirit is draining her of enthusiasm and drive.  So as part of her summer time of renewal, she decided to take this trip, hoping that someone would bring her renewed dedication and an assurance that she is where God wants her to be, doing what God wants her to do.  Lately, those questions have been troubling her and she is ready for spiritual guidance.  Things in the workplace might not change, but she is certain the Driver and others can help her to change.

 

Guiding Questions for comments: (Feel free to share anything of comfort each day)

1.       Most of us reach a crossroad and can identify with the Teacher.  Are you there or headed there?  Where does God really need you?

 

2.       It’s about surrendering---a scary thing to face.  When we do finally surrender, we find new freedom to Let Go and Let God.  What’s holding you back?

Passenger # 17 - A Religious Leader

Passenger # 17 – A Religious Leader

Our Religious Leader joined the journey for spiritual renewal as he faces a crossroad in his ministry.  Many in his congregation have begun to doubt his enthusiasm for his ministry in recent years.  This message has been filtered to him, but it comes as no surprise.  In fact, he regretfully agrees with them.  When he first began church leadership, he really was focused on the people he served and felt that he was doing God’s will.  As years passed, he had different assignments, some better than others, but he clearly understood his role to serve.  What has changed?

Society has placed new challenges in his ministry – serving multitudes of people with so many needs.  He feels as if the tasks have increased exponentially while staffing has remained the same or less than years ago.  Increased demand on his time and service has been a physical, mental, and emotional drain.  At this time in his ministry, he asks God each day if he is really where he belongs, doing what he does.  Internally, he feels like the past years have been a desert experience and he is looking for some flowing waters.  Perhaps the time away will serve him well as he meets other people and spends personal time with the Driver.  He is seeking advice and direction for his life.  This trip seemed like a great place to start that search.

 

Guiding Questions for comments: (Feel free to share anything of comfort each day)

1.       Think about the religious leaders you have known.  Has their effectiveness waivered over the years?  What could be the causes for the years in the desert?

 

2.       We know that when Jesus faced desperate times, He went away to pray.  Is there a message for all of us in that Biblical detail?

 

 

 

Passenger #16 - A Person of a Different Race

Passenger # 16 – A Person of a Different Race

Decades ago, life was racially segregated in American schools and communities.  Neighborhoods and jobs were race-specific as reflected in capacity to ever move upward financially.  We can recall The Jeffersons breaking the mold and “moving up to the East side.”  But does God intend for us to be a segregated people of the haves and the have-nots? 

Times have changed and not changed.  Poverty and race have crossed those invisible boundaries but relations are still a challenge Christians must address in thoughts, words, and actions.

Passenger # 16 is a man of a different race who has walked this road as he came to America seeking opportunity.  He is intelligent and personable, holds a good job, and is starting to build some security for his family.  It is in ordinary interactions that he has the greatest struggles.  He simply feels as if he is seen as a threat to many others.  Comments and isolation drive this belief.  He is hoping that this trip will give him clarity of how he can change his perspective since he recognizes he has limited ability to change society.  Maybe the Driver or some of the passengers can help him to see life through a different lens.  He believes that if he can change his perception, he can pass that positive image on to his children.

 

Guiding Questions for comments: (Feel free to share anything of comfort each day)

1.       Christian believers profess to embrace social justice.  How do we show that as one of our daily beliefs?

 

2.       What messages do we unknowingly convey to people of different races?  Are our fears based on their dress, language, position, reputation???

Passenger #15 - An Orphan

 

Passenger #15 – An Orphan

This young woman joined the trip once she knew she could get away from her animal practice.  It sounded like a great opportunity to relax, reflect, and possibly mend some holes that have been in her heart for many years as an orphan.  Throughout her younger years she was taken through foster care homes but never adopted.  Perhaps the holes in her heart began soon after birth when she missed the mother-daughter bonding that we know is the foundation for love, trust, and engagement.  Although several families willingly cared for her in their homes, life always seemed to be temporary.  She never enjoyed the security of family life and missed the grounding she needed and desired.  We all do!

Friendships were difficult as she went through grade school and high school.  It was her intelligence that she could depend on to get her through each year.  University was much the same, meeting a few friends along the way but always from a distance.  Trusting others to not abandon her was a challenge.  Perhaps the closest she has come to trusting is in her husband who seems to be very supportive and understanding.  She pursued several careers and has finally found something she has a passion for.  Years have passed and never has she had children of her own. 

In the back of her mind, she wonders what really made her sign up for the journey……..

 

Guiding Questions for comments: (Feel free to share anything of comfort each day)

1.       You probably know of families that have given of themselves to provide foster care for needy children.  Reflect on what some of the challenges might be for those families and the children in their temporary care.  Take the time often to pray for them that it be true ministry for all.

 

2.       Our Passenger has internal voids that could be preventing her from truly leading a fulfilled life.  How can she fill those missing pieces in her life?

 

 

Passenger #14 - An Addicted Person

Passenger #14 – An Addicted Person

Universally mankind suffers from various forms of addiction, all of which harm multitudes of people---those with the addictions, families and friends, co-workers and society in general.  Drug and alcohol abuse seem to ride in the forefront, but many forms of addiction follow behind.  Passenger #14 has traveled that road and is transitioning into a state of remission.  His decision to go on the journey was a deliberate one.  With all of the suffering he experienced and placed on those he loved and encountered, it was the new understanding that God loves him unconditionally that really is sustaining his remission. 

The transition and recovery will never end for him because the temptation will always be there as will the conditions that caused him to solve his problems in unhealthy choices for much of his adult life.  He has comes to realize that he must stay connected to Him, Jesus Christ, the one and only Savior, the only assurance he has in life.  It is He who pulled him through and He who provides eternal salvation.  Our Passenger has a new craving to know more about his Savior and really wants to learn about the Driver.

 

Guiding Questions for comments: (Feel free to share anything of comfort each day)

1.       Examine yourself for a few minutes.  What small or large addictions trouble you today?  Addictions come in many forms and play out in various degrees of impact.  What changes can you make to modify your own lifestyle and cravings?

 

2.       Humanity naturally judges and possibly condemns harmful addictions in society.  As Christians, what support can we have from Scripture that would help us to understand what God says about caring properly for our bodies, minds, and souls? 

Passenger #13 – A Former Prisoner

Society has managed to convict prisoners for a lifetime beyond their sentence.  None of us like the wrongs that happen in the world and we know justice must be served.  Unfortunately, our prison systems are not often successful in transforming its people and many return again.  However, some do change and that is the case of Passenger #13.  He chose to join the group on the trip as a final straw for forgiveness and spiritual direction.  Over the years he was imprisoned, he experienced every possible emotion and truly gave up on himself.  His family and friends did the same.  He lost hope for a future until an angel came along.  He clearly remembers that day when an older lady came from a local church that sponsored a prison ministry.  He had seen and heard about this but no one had ever met with him until this lady was sent to his aide.  At first he acted indifferent and uninterested---barely polite---just partially listened to what she said.  That first day could have been the last.  But the lady kept it short and simple and said she would return.  As she walked away, he had great doubt that she would ever return.  But she did, time and again.  Never did she preach to him, just talked respectfully, encouraged him that he was worthy of another chance.  He still recalls one statement she made that really struck him----Our God is a God of second chances!

 Finally the day came when he was set free from prison.  It should have been a day of joyful excitement, but no one was there to greet him----except the lady who had visited him.  This time she had her Pastor and they together took him to have his first meal.  As they visited, the Pastor mentioned that he could receive real nourishment if he joined them for worship each week.  His fear of rejection by outsiders overwhelmed him and sadly, he did not take up the offer.  He continues to struggle in this difficult time of transition.

 

Guiding Questions for comments: (Feel free to share anything of comfort each day)

1.       Have you ever thought about the challenge of prison ministry?  What fears have held you back?

 

2.       Do you wonder what the Driver will say at one of the night meetings? 

Where or where have the passengers gone?

For those of you who have so faithfully followed 40 Passengers on the Journey, you might be wondering if the driver’s GPS went out, did the bus have a wreck, maybe someone became ill???  Well, thank you for wondering.  The reality is that the Driver received a message to take a detour for a few days.  Just as in real life, there are detours that God sends our way and indeed, they serve a valuable purpose in our spiritual development.  In this case, it was not a co-incidence, rather a God-incidence that this trip happened during Lent.  As we know, Lent is a time for reflection, cleansing, change, growth, and renewal.  It is like pruning time for trees and shrubs.  Without those encounters, we die on the vine.

So, why the detour?  You will have to wait for the book to come out to have the full details, but I can summarize it for you.  God’s plan on this journey was to have the passengers learn important lessons from one another and of course from the Driver.  However, there are many others to meet who are not on the passenger list and they all will teach us amazing lessons about ourselves and others.  In this instance, the detour included several people, some with a minor role and one or two with Hollywood credentials!

While you wait to read the details (hopefully this year----I still need a publisher), here are a few highlighted lessons that resulted from our stars on the detour:

1.       You might be the designated leader, but you are NOT in charge.  God will always be in charge, so fear not.

2.       You might be a spectacular planner but detours happen.

3.       Change is not always well-scheduled.  We must be flexible in action and attitude.

4.       Even strong Christians will question God when detours come along.  They might not get their answer…..at least not right away.

5.       God has specific ways to use each of us; some appear positive and some not.

6.       For things to change, I must change.

7.       Prayer certainly helps---even in dry times.

8.       No pain, no gain….ugh!

9.       There comes a time when you realize that what you wish for world peace to look and feel like, can be out-of-focus sometimes.

10.    Some people are already giving you their best.

It feels great to be back on the journey.  You see I am the one who needed the lessons.

Passenger #12 - A Cancer Patient

I know no adult who has not met a cancer patient at least indirectly.  In today’s society, we hear resounding conversations about the multitudes of people who are dealing with cancer. 

Our passenger is easy to detect—she is the one with the cute, colorful head wrap.  While she appears to be quiet, inside there is a roar of confusion, worry, exhaustion, and shifting faith.  As I work on my own faith, I sometimes wonder if you can store up a surplus for when these tragic times hit.  Many times, God is using these patients to teach us about trust and faith at their deepest level.  We recognize the challenges for the patient and those who love and care for the patient.

Much public interest focuses on cures and prevention of cancer and rightly so.  But there is often a neglected emphasis on the inner healing that can have a powerful impact.  The ancient Buddhist saying that “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear” I believe might play a role in the spiritual journey of someone who is handling severe unwanted illness. 

As we encounter those who are suffering through cancer treatments, we have the power to do some gift-giving.  One is in the form of daily prayer for the medical healing to be successful.  The other is to find a way to connect the person to a book or some form of media that will help that person to build up their belief and faith.  There is much that has been written to be testimony for those who are seeking inner peace and strength.  Our passenger, like all of us, has inner healing that needs to be fortified for the challenges that recovery present.  She chose to come on this trip to find that healing.  The Driver has a special evening set aside for a message on Hope, but the message goes beyond Passenger #12.

 

Guiding Questions for comments: (Feel free to share anything of comfort each day)

1.       What part does inner healing play when one is facing recovery from any catastrophe in life?  It might be interesting to do an internet research on the power of inner healing.

 

2.       Do you or someone you know need to hear the Driver’s message on Hope?  Reflect on what that message might include----hope for what?  Would it be hope for endurance, hope for healing, hope to see your child graduate, hope to walk again……………

 

Passenger 10 and Passenger 11- Rich Man and Poor Man

Passenger 10 and Passenger 11 know each other and are traveling together for a special reason.  They have known each other for quite some time.  The Rich Man has been intrigued by the Poor Man and wants to know him better, so he invited him to be on the journey and gifted him with the trip. 

The Rich Man has had some remarkable financial success in life and has made his mark in the business world.  From this success, he has provided every amenity for his family with the sky being the limit.  In spite of his financial stability and the material things he and his family own, he personally feels an emptiness that he cannot explain or resolve.  Obviously, that longing isn’t something that money can buy.

The Poor Man, however, seems to have a spirit about him that defines an inner joy and peace that has attracted the Rich Man for years.  As you can expect, the Poor Man has had multiple setbacks, unstable work, bills, and general limitations in what he can provide for his family.

The Driver knows the story of the two men and he has planned a special talk at group time.  I think it will be called “Worldly Wealth and Eternal Wealth” and He is going to share what Scripture says about wealth.

 

Guiding Questions for comments: (Feel free to share anything of comfort each day)

1.       We all know financially wealthy people.  Some seem more fulfilled than others.  Some are very generous and others stick to buying their own toys.  Have you heard that money itself is not bad, it’s what you do with it?  Just for fun, take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle.  Label the two columns Gifts and Toys.  Reflect on what you would give away and what toys you would buy—even new house/car/boat, etc. if you suddenly won the Mega Lottery!

 

2.       Think of a few talking points The Driver might include in His talk about God’s thoughts on wealth.  Do you know a “Poor Man” who seems to be filled with joy?  Have you ever thought “I want some of that?”