Thought for the Day

Afternoon, my friends! Sorry for there being light blogging at this site for the past several days. It's been super busy around here. I am working on several projects at once, and time has been limited. I do apologize and will try my best to provide more regular and timely updates.

I do appreciate those of you who loyally follow Martin Christian Ministries. I depend on people like you to make all of this possible. A new CD is in the planning stage. More about that in time. But be aware that the process for doing these things is slow...so much to do just to get ready. Right now we are in the planning phase--choosing the songs that will go on the CD, which can be a most arduous task.

But, as always, I deeply appreciate your kind gifts to this ministry. A donation using the PayPal button at the top right column is a tangible way you can help keep this operation going.

And now, for the devotional thought for the day.

On a bus in New York City in 1978 I was attempting to make my way to Grand Central Station from LaGuardia Airport. I had been to New York many times, but I had always driven there. I was totally out of my league as a young man who was not accustomed to big city public transportation.

Seated next to me on the bus was a older gentleman. He, too, was dressed in a three-piece suit as was I. He never introduced himself, and I essentially ignored him, having been told that you can't trust those New Yorkers! LOL!

At one point he simply said, "So where are you going?" Just out of the blue. I said, "I am going to Grand Central Station, and I don't have a clue as to how to get there."

I am quite certain he could tell by my southern drawl that I was not from the area, but he never said a word about it. He said, "Well, my friend, this bus won't get you to Grand Central. You are going to have to get off of this bus and catch a cab. I will tell you exactly where to get off, and what to say to the cabbie in order to make sure he gets you to the station using the shortest route possible. This will save you a load of money."

He began telling me what to do.

It seemed that just as soon as the words left his tongue the bus stopped. He looked out the window and said, "This is it. This is where you get off. Now, you get off this bus pronto and catch that cab, and do exactly what I told you."

I thanked him profusely, and I asked his name. He said, "You don't have time for that. You have to get off right now. Now, go!"

I got off the bus just as the doors began to close.

And sure enough, there were cabs around. I hailed one, and when I got in I told the driver exactly what the man had told me to say.

We got to Grand Central in five minutes.

The cabbie was a big talker. And he had told me along the way that I must know a lot about NYC because he would have never gone to Grand Central using the route I had provided. I thought to myself, "Yeah, if he only knew the real truth. And I bet he would have taken 30 minutes to get there had I not given him complete instructions."

I never forgot the man on the bus.

Shortly after I arrived at Grand Central and boarded the train northward, I began to contemplate what had happened, and a Bible verse struck me. It said, essentially, that we never know who we encounter on life's journey and that sometimes we encounter 'angels unaware.'

I encountered an angel in what to me was a most unlikely place--in New York City on a bus.