Shone

This happened today.

I watched my good friend, Art, securing the china cabinet we were in the process of purchasing and transporting, and sat alongside of the seller, Shone. Shone answered a text message, his son just got an A in his English class, grade 10. He was so pleased.

The whole time we’d struggled with this heavy piece of furniture, Shone had been talking about his anxiety to sell his home, and move into a town home. It was a truly lovely home, with every corner beautifully crafted for family living.

My being retired from city bus was mentioned. Ashton added that I am now driving school bus. Shone replied that keeping busy after retirement is a good thing.

At some point I had in my heart to share my faith with him. So I shared my testimony of how I ever came to be a bus driver, with this verse as the key to it.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:33-34

I was a young man when I went in to see my pastor. I told him that God was calling me into ministry, and wanted guidance.

Pastor: “You’re married and have two children, there is your calling.”

I went home, calculated how much money I needed to support my little family, and at the same time the head usher at church was the manager of one of the transit centres, and a fellow in my home group was a bus driver. The pay matched my needs, and I had these men to show me the way into it.

Who knew 35+ years later that the skill of driving a bus would be in high demand.

It was a fulfilment of that scripture on Matthew.

Shone’s reaction could have been anything. Many times I’ve testified and the person has become uncomfortable, and shuffled away from me. But not Shone.

He stood up to tell us that he was I cancer treatments. He was emotional. Something that I’d said, “resonated” with him he said. I asked him if we could pray for him, he said yes, but first he wanted to say,

A few weeks ago while selling to someone else, that man had been a Christian, and had prayed with him after speaking about his faith with him.

Each of us 3 prayed for him. Afterward he mentioned Ashton’s prayer had mentioned a reset, and that also resonated with him.

There was a real sense that God was at work in this man. He said he’d been thinking of going to church.

Some where in all of our brief talk I had a word well up in me.

“God, our father, is calling you to come home, into his family, into his Love.”

Ashton suggested that his son get involved with the young adults at that church he’d be going to. Shone responded by saying his son had gone to a Bible camp the previous summer, and had been saying grace at the extended family meals, and he’d been so glad to hear his son pray, and connected with them.

It’s hard to describe adequately what a moving time this was for all of us. It transcended what we’d come there to do.

It will be a lasting memory as we now have that piece of furniture in our home.

Our visit brought him Hope.

I gave him a few hugs. He received them warmly.

I’m in awe.