Father, as I come before You tonight, I feel the need to climb up onto Your lap. I need Your mighty arms to hold me tightly. A storm is brewing, and I am close enough that I will surely feel its effects. I place my trust in You, it is a blessed assurance to be found in You. Amen.
John 14:6-14(<<click here to read the passage)
I have probably alluded to this before, but school bus drivers carry an extensive amount of responsibility! Many may think, “Yeah, right! You just get kids back and forth from home and school.” But if that is what you boil it all down to, then you are sadly mistaken! That may be the end result, but it encompasses so much more!
We have to be able to drive a 15-ton vehicle, abiding by all the rules of the road, through all types of weather. While doing that we have to keep control of close to 50 kids, all by ourselves in most cases. Our eyes are constantly on the move, from our dashboard to the road, to the surrounding area, to the kids in the front, middle, and back of the bus! I love what I do but it is not for the faint of heart. It is truly one of those jobs that you pretty much have to have a calling to do.
Something to put it into perspective…if while in your care, one child was seriously injured or – God forbid – killed, how would that affect you? My fullest route, my afternoon elementary route, has as many as 42 children ranging in age from 5 to 11. What in the world would I do if while I was driving all 42 were injured or worse? I have read of drivers who having lost one child could not live with themselves and in time took their own lives due to their grief.
Truly it can be overwhelming, so we absolutely must be on top of things every moment that we are under that responsibility!
Now, what if I told you there is something even more important than what I do for a living? It involves even more lives, and, in this instance, death is but a threshold we all must cross. It is not the end, but merely a crossing.
We who claim to follow Jesus Christ have the ultimate responsibility to lead others to Him. Where I consciously focus on what I do every time is sit behind the wheel of my bus, I would dare say that for many of us, focusing even occasionally on sharing Christ with others and assuring that they are aware of the salvation that is found only in Him, doesn’t even cross our minds!
We may exclaim defensively, “I’m doing good to get through everything else in my life. I can’t be expected to keep up with all that, too!”
But that rings empty and hollow.
As Jesus spoke with his disciples, He said,
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” vs12-14
Jesus has set Himself before us. Yes, we are doing as He commands, but He gives Himself over to us! We are not alone. We are His representatives and unlike any earthly leader, He can empower us to accomplish whatever we need to accomplish! He will give us all that we need to do His will!
Lord Jesus, empower us! Embolden us! Make us what we need to be to serve as You have called us to serve! And may we do it all in Your mighty name! Amen!
Sept 12th, 2021, Sun, 7:40 pm
