This week I’ve been talking about trains as a metaphor.
My dad and my grandpa were both railroad men, so as a kid I spent lots of time around trains. Railroad yards and diesel engines were great places to grow up.
Dad’s railroad operated a passenger line from Chicago to Minneapolis to Tacoma – and back. Only 2 choices. East or West.
We traveled for free, so I spent a fair bit of time on trains. If they were on time, eastbound and westbound both arrived in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where my grandparents lived, at midnight.
I remember thinking it was cool to see people coming and going on both platforms. As I got a little older, I recall marveling at the scheduling required to make that happen.
No matter which way I was headed, I don’t think I ever wondered much about the people going the other way. Just never crossed my mind. What mattered was making sure we were on the right train.
I’ve occasionally been accused of torturing metaphors. I’ll take that risk here.
According to Jesus, my primary task is to examine my own path (my train). Am I on the right train? Am I doing my best to follow Him as I travel?
At the FREEDOM TOUR, we cycle to bring hope and freedom to kids rescued from human trafficking.
But, what about punishing the criminals? What about reforming the system? And soon, without thinking, we get “sidetracked.” Our train is no longer traveling its intended path.
Of course, those issues matter. But Jesus invites us to focus first on our own journey.
I need to be a bit more like that little kid whose only concern was making sure he got on the right train.
He trusted, once he did that, everything else would be okay.
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**About The Photo – This is my Grandpa, Elmer, in 1949, with one of the gigantic steam locomotives he worked on.
💯♥️AWESOME picture♥️💯