story - The Bus Ride

By: Krasimir Kaver

  It was a bitterly cold evening. I pulled my scarf tighter around me as I hurried from vespers to the bus stop. I shivered against the cold and tried to shield myself from the wind and blowing snow. I arrived at the bus stop to find just one other person standing there, a man in his forties. He hunched down into his jacked and barely looked up to greet me. Then we stood silently, waiting for the bus.

  I felt and almost overpowering urge to talk to this man. I asked the man what time it was, just to make conversation. After a few moments of chit-chat, this stranger told me that his name was Stefan and that he intended to commit suicide soon. I knew he was serious, for his entire body spoke of hopelessness and unrelieved burdens.

  I asked him if he would tell me why he was so down on life. He told me he was an engineer and had been working in a factory in town. But recently he had lost his job when the factory laid off many workers. Although he had two university degrees, he could not find suitable work. To make matters worse, his wife, who was a doctor, seemed to enjoy rubbing it in that he was not working. Her attitude discouraged him more. He felt the sting of her reproach and knew that she did not appreciate him as a man or as a husband.

  In the dim light of the street lamp, I could see that this man was visibly suffering as he shared his story. It was evident that he felt helpless to climb out of his depression. But how could I help him? Soon the bus would come, and we would part. I prayed silently that God would give me wisdom to say the right thing to this man.

  Within a few minutes the bus came, and we climbed aboard. It was almost empty, and we found seats together in the back of the bus, where we could talk without interruption. Stefan's eyes begged for a thread of hope to hang on to.

  My mind sifted through Bible stories to find one about a man who had undergone great difficulties. The prophet Elijah came to mind, and I began telling Stefan about Elijah. As I talked, I felt reassured that God had planted this prophet's story in my mind. It was as if the words came to me from nowhere, and I sensed that each word was doing its good work in this man's consciousness. I had no doubt that the Holy Spirit guided our conversation. We spoke animatedly, and he had lots of questions. It was as if we were alone on the bus, totally unaware of the other passengers of the snow swirling outside.

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