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Joseph And The Bus

One Saturday I was sitting in the bus station waiting for the bus. As I waited, the bus I wanted pulled into the depot and I stood up to make my way to boarding it, but I was overcome by a strong feeling to take the other bus, the one with the longer route. Thinking this was absolutely silly I went to board my usual bus, but the feeling became much stronger, so much so that I realized something was up and I walked over to the longer-route bus, and feeling foolish, I boarded it.

As the bus departed I noticed a man opposite me with a Bible in his lap. He was preaching to a man near him and because the man he was preaching to was a bit intoxicated, he was preaching hard. I was sitting across from them. He noticed me and noticed the Star of David necklace I was wearing and he nodded to me with a knowing look.

Meanwhile, he continued to preach at the man near him, and that man was obviously upset. Finally the man with the Bible reached his destination and got off the bus. I was aware that the unusual circumstances that put me on this bus was most likely a “God thing,” but I didn’t know what to do. Silently I prayed and asked the Lord, “if this is of you, Lord, please have that man speak to me first.

Well of course …he did! So I moved over to where the first man had been sitting and said hello to this man. Immediately he began telling me how upset he was because of that first man with the Bible. “How can he judge me like that,” he blurted out! Then the Lord opened my mouth and gave me words that I was aware were directly from him. In a very, very gentle voice I told this man that everything that man had said to him was all true, except for the way he said it. I told him that the Lord DOES judge, but that he does not WANT to judge him, he wants his heart surrendered to him. The man’s face immediately relaxed and I could see him visibly respond to what I said. I told him it was of God that I was on this particular bus today, a bus I wouldn’t have taken, and I said to him “the Lord loves you and wants to save you.” The Lord had the man’s attention. I asked him what his name was and he said “Joseph.” I said to him, Joseph when you’re in your bedroom tonight get down on your knees and ask God to show you what his plan for your life is.” His face lit up and he said, “I WILL! I WILL!” I told him I would be praying for him.

The next bus stop was the one I needed to take, and I got out and looking up I saw Joseph in the window waving at me with all his heart.

To this day, I pray for that man. And I marvel at how this was “a God thing,” and how the Lord had set it all up.

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