Today started out like most days have for me lately. I woke up late, then decided to go watch The Fault in Our Stars at the AMC theater. I was excited about going to that theater for the first time on my own.
When I got on the bus at CSU, I sat down and was ready to listen my music and enjoy the ride. Then, I saw a black man come on the bus and I heard him recite John 3:16. Right before I turned my music back up, the old man driving the bus pointed to me and said, “You know he’s talking to you, right?”
I had had encounters with guys like this, in Uganda, and on the streets before. I was not about to this one pass me by. So, I went over and sat by him for the remainder of my bus ride.
“Reverend” Walter then asked me if I was “into Jesus” and I said, “Yes.” He asked if I was going to school, and I said I graduated from CSU, pointing to the outside buildings from the bus window as a confirmation.
When he asked what my degree was and I told him I was a writer and had a blog, he said, “Man, you keep writing. Even if people call you crazy, don’t stop doing what you’re doing. It’s what God has called you to do.”
He told me he had been “in ministry” and serving Jesus for thirty-six years. He also spoke of a night when God woke him up and told him to write down seven things, which later became the source for seven sermons. This little tidbit told me that there was more to this old guy than most people would ever see.
He also spoke of how in the Bible, it says that Jesus met and encountered many but that the Scriptures talk specifically about the lives he touched. Like Jesus, he reminded me that we are all called to minister and to touch those in our little circles and our little worlds for Him. I was stunned as I had never before heard this truth spoken in such a way. He also reminded me that he and I were in Fort Collins for a reason, and that I certainly had a purpose for being here.
I eventually came to my bus stop and bid him farewell. I then saw The Fault in Our Stars and while I had a mix of emotions, many difficult, by the end I felt encouraged and grateful for having the chance to live. After I walked back to the bus stop, the same bus returned with the same old man driving it, who looked like an undercover Santa Claus.
I got back on and asked him about routes. I apologized for my questions, saying “It was my first time,” to ride this particular route. He asked where I lived, and when I told him I was disabled, he informed me that if I provided proof of my disability, that I could receive a year-long bus pass for only $25.
As he said those words, tears welled up in my eyes. I could not stop telling him, “Thank you,” and yet, there was Someone else I needed to thank more. From meeting the “Reverend,” to watching a therapeutic movie, and then getting some very good news, God had put together my Monday just to say: “I see you! I love you! I am going to take care of you!”
I realize my little bit of good news is not enough to bring joy, to ease the heart-ache and pain our entire world is facing right now. I do know, however, that I encountered Jesus today in a radical way. He once again spoke me to through another, reminded me of how He had shown up before, and how He could work wonders again.
If you take anything from this, I hope you know that Jesus is real, that He loves you, and that He cares for you. I hope you remember that He is KING and that He “reigns above and below the clouds.” As you look at the news, as you encounter pain and suffering in your own life, I hope you find comfort in the truth of His word.
1 John 4:4 New International Version (NIV)
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Thank you all for reading my blog, for all of your love, and all of your prayers.
Until Next Time,
Jacobo
The Adventures of A Warrior 