Certain seasons of our lives cannot be scripted or predicted. These seasons are not fun, and often remind us of some of the most difficult days in our lives. They begin with the unfamiliar and uncomfortable and depending upon what we choose to learn and the attitude with which we approach these seasons, we end with a grateful heart for lessons learned. Such as my two years “in exile” riding the bus line in Ann Arbor. For this suburban girl, my time riding the bus was foreign, challenging and difficult.
Memorizing the bus schedules, charting routes and searching alternate routes became an obsession and I still found myself unable to effortlessly “get around” as other city travelers went with ease. I missed my car, the comfort it provided with the air conditioner/heat at my fingertips, the independence to jump in my car and run to the drugstore for two items or the drive-through for a hot cup of coffee. When my car was totaled on the black ice, so went with it my schedule and the way of life as I knew it.
I learned three things quickly as I rode the bus lines. First, I had to live by the weather to be prepared. It meant rain slicker and umbrella in the rain, boots in the snow and water in the heat of summer. Second, I had to learn to make fast choices and pivot quickly as my bus ran late (due to weather or traffic). With my connecting bus missed the original schedule fell apart, so I had to either wait an hour or recalculate an alternate route and fast. Third, I had to rely on the bus drivers when unforeseen circumstances caused problems. I learned quickly the bus drivers were my heroes. These drivers got me from point A to Point B, knew how to solve problems quickly and knew to deal with very difficult people moment by moment. Each morning and afternoon I would greet my driver with a smile and special greeting. Just when I would get to know the drivers on my route, the garage would rotate the drivers, so I learned to get to know the new drivers. Some were cheerful, friendly and helpful. Others were polite and distant.
It was all too unfamiliar to me…the hoarding of quarters, the limited schedule, the elements, the weather coupled with the unpredictable traffic, construction and staff changes all attributed to an adjustment for me from the comforts of suburbia to the rush and wait of urban transportation. As we looked at the Jeremiah this past week, God works in the lives of his beloved children as they are force in exile in Babylon where everything is different, the food, the culture, the language and the people. God tells them to:
Jeremiah 29:5, 7 Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce…work for peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you…
They are to be in exile for seventy years, two generations. That is a long time… I rode the bus lines in Ann Arbor just two short years and thought it was a forever.
Years later, the late afternoon sun splashed through the windshield as I drive past the bus stop. It holds a special place in my heart. I spent hundreds of hours at this exact stop…waiting in the rain, wading through the snow, dodging the puddles in the sleet and rain. With soggy feet and cold hands, I offered my prayers upward to the heavens. I knew God was listening, I just wasn’t hearing much at that moment.
Why am I so nostalgic about a bus stop that is nothing but a pole and a tuft of grass on the side of a busy intersection? It is the place, a crucible where God shaped my heart of Fuller Road. I had many adventures as I rode the line. In the end, God kept me safe and got me where I needed to go. Was it a test of character or just dumb luck? I don’t know. I recently heard somewhere that if we don’t hear and see God working that is okay. He is there and at work in our lives. The best teachers are silent during a test.
Your test might be even more challenging. A health scare may turn into a permanent lifestyle change. A financial blip may become a new way of life. A promising career path may crumble.
Helen Keller once noted, “Character cannot be developed in ease or quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
Take a look around for a moment. Are you in uncomfortable and unfamiliar territory? God is at work in your life.
Jeremiah 31:8-9 Tears of joy will stream down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care. They will walk beside quiet streams and on smooth paths where they will not stumble.
As a loving Father leads home His little children, God leads us home. The journey is long and far. We go through rain, sleet and snow to get there. We get a few sunny days along the way. He leads us beside still waters when we need a rest. When we get home, it will be worth the wait. We will be home in the arms of the Father who knows us and loves us.

Blessings,
Casey

www.stockid.com, 2023 Stock ID 148140104, Drazen Zigic, April 19 2023.
The One Year Bible (2004) New Living Translation, Tyndale House, Carol Stream, Illinois
Jeremiah 29:5, 7 p. 1113 & Jeremiah 31:8-9, p. 1118
Keller, Helen, (1880-1968) https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/helen_keller_101340