Last week we took a step back in time to when my daughter fell off her bike and broke her leg. As a result, I had to take the train to an interview.
On that train ride, I had an unforgettable experience.
Keep reading to find out what happened!
First Stop: Meppel
As you will recall, we left off with me standing on the platform, waiting to board the train. After about 10 minutes, the train arrived, and I found a seat by the window.
Two young ladies sat down across from me. They were likely students around 17-18 years old. They were joking and giggling the entire time, which is typical for that age.
After about 5 minutes, we arrived at our first stop: Meppel. The name was announced but as usual, it was hard to understand. Instead, I saw the sign as we rolled into the station. After that, the train got a little busier as we neared bigger cities.
Serious Tones
The ladies, at this point, switched their conversation over to a more serious tone. As time went on, they started to speak louder and louder.
At a certain point, I even knew their names, Jolien and Katie, as they were deep in conversation. The smiles had disappeared.
An Additional Passenger
Suddenly a 50 or so year-old man, wearing jeans and a blazer, appeared beside me and asked, “Can I sit here, sir?
I replied with an “Absolutely, no problem.”
I grabbed my bag, and he took a seat.
In the corner of my eyes, I saw that he was carrying a briefcase and wearing runners.
He had a friendly smile and introduced himself as Chris. I replied with my name and moved closer to the window to enjoy the view and give him some space.
The green pastures the Netherlands is known for flash past me. A few cows and farms were in view. It was as if it was a beautiful painting that was everchanging.
A Heated Conversation
The conversation of the two ladies across from me became more heated by the minute. As a result, I couldn’t help but overhear the majority of the conversation.
The one we know as Katie was complaining about her weekend. She was at a party and came home after midnight.
“It’s always the same,” she said, “My parents always make a comment, complaining that I come home late and wondering where I’ve been. I’m never allowed to do what I want.”
At that moment, something stirred inside me, and before I knew it, I said, “Well, Katie, that is pretty normal that your parents are worried about where you are hanging out on the weekends? Besides, from your conversation, it became evident that you were both raised religiously.”
Immediately I felt the eyes of the entire train car on me. A dozen eyes stared at me, and a few people turned around.
I felt myself sink deeper and deeper. It’s as if I had pulled on the emergency brake.
Awkward Silence
The ladies stopped talking after my interruption. Thoughts were racing through my mind. Should I apologize?
Instead of talking, both Jolien and Katie were staring at me with open mouths. All three of us were shocked by what had happened.
If I had the “abilities” of David Copperfield, I would’ve teleported to a different train car. But wishing doesn’t change a thing, and I had to face reality.
Thankfully, Jolien broke the silence. “Sir,” she said, “Can I ask you a question? You got yourself involved in our conversation, which I’m ok with, but if you are one of those, maybe you can tell me.”
She continued with, “And please don’t bombard me with verses, although I do respect the Bible, but I do find it difficult to understand at times.”
She then asked me the question, “How come throughout the entire Bible, God’s love is being told, just like the text ‘For God so loved the world.’¹”
She smiled at that as she caught herself reciting a verse.
She continued, “Why do such horrible things happen in the world? If God is love, why does He allow these things to happen? If He is all-powerful, He can stop these things.”
She said the last with a trembling voice.
A Cool Evening Breeze
I saw many emotions cross her face. On the one hand, I saw anger and confusion; on the other hand, I saw frustration, pain, and sadness.
In the meantime, Katie had recovered from the shock and slowly grabbed Jolien’s hand. The atmosphere changed.
I saw in a quick flash that Jolien was wearing a bracelet. It had four letters. However, I didn’t bring it up.
I tried to concentrate on the answer to the question she asked me. Two things were certain in my mind.
One: God is love.
Two: The suffering in the world is immense.
Why did I say something? How could I be so stupid to get myself involved?
They saw that I was struggling to find the correct answer.
Many believe in “positive thinking,” where they just ignore the bad things in life and show the world just the goodies. It’s like having a garden full of beautiful flowers and don’t deal with the weeds.
The outcome would be obvious.
I could have started speaking about that, given them peace of mind, ignore the bad things and only think of the good things.
However, this wasn’t the right answer for this conversation.
I started with a “Well, you know…” and continued with, “God’s love and the evil in this….”
At that moment, a voice beside me said, “Can I partake in this interesting conversation? I figured I’d ask first. It seems polite.”
My face immediately turned red from embarrassment. I felt like a ripe tomato in a garden, ready for harvest.
Chris had listened to the conversation attentively. He, of course, had heard the ladies speak quite loudly and had noticed my frustration. Or so I thought.
The conversation continued as a cool evening breeze on a hot summer day. Chris was in the driver’s seat. All three of us now became the passengers allowed to travel with him.
He would bring us to beautiful places that we had never seen before. At least, I hadn’t. So, it was as if he said… “Don’t worry; it’s a free ride!”
God bless you!
Come back next time to visit the places he brought us.
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