Part 5 Worth it All

Please accept my apologies for not finishing such an important story.
My computer crashed, taking me a long while to figure out how to get
around it until fixed completely. My daughter had an unexpected major
surgery the next week, followed by preparing for our annual
Thanksgiving Dinner for our community. By then, time passed as quickly
as sand in an hour-glass.

I never planned on my readers being able to identify with Steve’s
emotions in the last portion of our story. You see, when we left Steve,
he arrived at a large bus depot expecting a connecting bus within
minutes. Didn’t happen. He soon learned hurricane evacuations had
altered all bus schedules. The third report he received was a bus
existed, but no driver. By remaining calm during this challenging time,
he was able to save two men physically.

As you well know by now, giving up is easy to do when faced with
obstacles, or while suffering. If we stick it out, sometimes we
discover something better, or more meaningful. Steve sure did on this
17-hour bus adventure, and you’re about to learn what transpired to
make all exhaustion and mishaps worth it all.

First, let me give a quick overview before diving in:

Deciding to drive home after preaching a revival in Mississippi, Steve
felt riding a bus overnight after dropping his wife home, he’d be able
to pick up a car donated by a pastor. It seemed like the easiest way.
Little did he know he was in for the ride of his life. . .one him and
those he’s told will remember forever.

The mishaps (or obstacles) encountered in parts 1-4 of this series were:

* no bus ticket available online

* someone’s phone was stolen before leaving on the first bus

* little rest. . .two hours of sleep tops

* intervened in a bloody domestic fight

* awoke to a crazy man pouring gas around where he lay

* ATF boarding his bus, followed by getting searched

* witnessed a man get clubbed in the back of the head with a
deadly weapon

* observed a robbery happening simultaneously

* rescued a choking man and rescued another man having a seizure

(Past posts can be read at your leisure using links at the bottom of
this post.)

Worth it All

Stepping over the growing pile of luggage pinning him in, Steve jogged
once more to the counter. As he approached, the brown-haired clerk’s
face grimaced as he spotted Steve. His right hand immediately raised,
palm outward.  “At this point, we have no idea when you’ll get a bus,”
the clerk said loud enough to be heard over the low roar of voices,
footsteps, and motors.

As Steve’s eyes fell, he noticed how much wetter the man’s shirt was
compared to his last visit. He drug his tired and frustrated body back
to his corner, returning to his post of guarding others’ luggage.

Needing to pass the time for who knew how long, Steve thought, May as well 
charge these people’s cell phones for them. It’d be better than 
watching these illegal transactions.

He leaned over, grabbed a power strip he brought from his plastic bag,
and plugged his strip into an outlet on the floor.

Sighing, he mused, Can’t believe they left such fancy phones laying on 
top of their luggage. . .especially in today’s world, and this 
environment. He plugged in eight phones in the beginning and monitored
their progress. Once, he managed to charge fourteen at one time.

Babysitting luggage and charging phones while listening to his Bible app
still wasn’t enough to keep Steve from getting bored. Seeing more buses
arrive, he got another idea. Not one person wore a smile, but many had
tight lines and bags under their eyes. I can be a greeter, he
thought. After all, tension is pretty thick around here cause most buses 
are being rerouted due to the hurricane. Why, some people have been 
waiting at this humongous bus depot for thirty-six hours.

“How ya doing’? he’d ask in his Texas draw. “Did you have a good ride?”

An occasional smile or nod was given by passengers, but strange and
puzzled looks were the norm. Steve thought he could’ve easily been part
of the Barnum-Bailey Circus Freak Show. If there had been any doubt,
viewing the bags multiplying at his feet and sides said otherwise.

Time passed doing pretty much the same thing. Buses unloaded on the
other side of the building, yet people walked past other seats to drop
luggage off and be greeted by Steve’s smile and Texas accent. The
intercom made its announcements and some luggage would disappear with
verbal thanks for fully charged phones. Other tired individuals made
themselves at home in this area where many had witnessed the choking
man receive assistance from Steve, and the man with wobbly eyes be made whole.

Scanning The luggage, now piled three deep,  it extended out haphazardly
into the aisles. Fifty to sixty bags surrounded Steve like presents
around a Christmas tree. Several folks were perched on top of some
piles, while others covered the tile floor, nestled tightly among bags.
The chatter was at a minimum as he glanced at the time on his phone. 2:15 p.m.

Right then, he heard another bus roll in. He stood and stretched as the
air brakes were applied. “Thank you, Lord, for the distraction. I
should’ve reached my destination over two hours ago and I don’t need to
think how long I’ll be stuck in this place.” Naturally, he said it in a
soft voice, losing more volume, until his lips were moving without
sound at the end.

Steve hopped over bags in preparation for the new passengers.

“How are you this fine, beautiful, absolutely gorgeous day,” he asked
the first man wearing a few  piercings and tattoos.

“How was your ride?” he asked the woman who followed. She looked like
she was approaching sixty. He did the same with  the next few.

spotting a younger lady with sagging shoulders resting on a thin frame,
he did the same. “How was your trip?”
Her eyes avoided his as she passed by. . .no different from the
previous folks ahead of her, except she briefly turned around.

Hunkered in his seat once more, Steve noticed his luggage had
multiplied by leaps and bounds again. More people had joined them, both
sitting and standing this time. Then, the young lady slowly lowered
herself into one of the four chairs next to Steve. After gathering some
strength, her voice came out soft, but grew stronger with each word.
“Since you asked how I was, and seemed to care, can I tell you?”

Steve nodded.

I’m headed to Nashville to start my life over,” she said, brushing a
wisp of hair behind her ear.

Clearing his throat before speaking, Steve said, “Generally speaking,
people’s lives have been  pretty rough when they want to start over.”

Tears began gathering in the corner of her eyes. “Mine sure has been. I
just left a religious homeless shelter,” then proceeded to share details
of her broken past.

Steve crossed his ankles and leaned forward to listen more intently,
making sure not to interrupt. When she finished, he took his turn. Out
of the corner of his eyes, he noted the already large crowd had grown
even more. Silence surrounded him, like the luggage, and all eyes and
ears were on him waiting for a response.

Remaining focused on helping this hurt female, he continued, “If you’re
going to start a new life,  you shouldn’t try starting it without Jesus
Christ leading the way. He is the answer you need. He  is the One who
cares for you, can lead you, hold your hand, and give you the peace you desire.”

Steve continued sharing who Jesus was and what a difference He could
make when Mary interrupted in her loudest voice yet, “I  want to meet
this Jesus!”

With the biggest grin and a sparkle in his eye, Steve said, “I can do
that.” He stifled a laugh as he thought to himself how every preacher
awaits this question.

He shared the plan of salvation from the book of Romans in the Bible,
then asked her to pray with  him.

Excitement and relief washed through her, forcing her to an upright
position as soon as she said her amen. Onlookers went from silence to
clapping, and joined her standing up as if desiring an encore.

When Steve glanced up at her, he saw a glow around her entire head, the
kind you see in photos of candles illuminating a dark background. He
wondered how many others could see this. Maybe this is why a crowd 
like this might be so excited.

Wiping her tears with her own sleeve, Mary sank into her seat. In the
midst of Steve’s excitement,  Steve realized Jesus is the key, but some
tools would be an asset as well. He then began googling  resources on
his phone to share with her. They found some paper and jotted down
churches to try,  phone numbers of other contacts, he thought
would give her help for her new journey.

Laying her pen down, Steve asked if he could pray with her once more. .
mainly to ask the Lord’s direction, blessing, joy and peace.

Both bowing their heads in a praying position  the crowd continued to watch.
At the end Steve said, Amen and opened his eyes. Instantly, the loud-speaker
announced, “Bus for Tupelo is boarding. Please hurry or you’ll miss it.”
Right then, Steve knew why he was given a car he couldn’t drive home,
and why he had to endure such a horrendous and exhausting bus ride,
full of things he never wanted to witness.

Moving quickly Steve said, “God really loves and cares about you.
He’s in your heart now. You’re a new creature. Let Him be your best
friend.” Then he grabbed his phone, special charger, and his plastic
sack, and got on his last bus. He was leaving three hours past his
original arrival time and had two hours to go, making his bus ride
seventeen hours instead of twelve.

Once in his bus seat, Steve reflected silently. I’m sitting in a place
I never wanted to be. I’m around a bunch of people I never wanted to be
around. I did not want to be here! I thank God, though, He didn’t care
about what I wanted, but put me where I needed to be just for this girl, Mary.

If you want to read previous posts to learn more details, or experience
this adventure more fully, click on the following links.
Part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.

Thank you so much for enduring with me to the end. Please let me know
what you thought of this series in the comments below. Do you think it
will make a great E-book? Would you enjoy other stories written in a
series of posts every now and then? I’d LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK!

Thanks for sharing this and subscribing to my blog. You’re appreciated.
Have a blessed New Year!

© 2018, Jena Fellers. All rights reserved.