Trapped by the Train

Our new town has train tracks running right through the center of town. Twice today I was “stuck” waiting. Many thoughts ran through my mind; what if I was REALLY in a hurry? What do people do if they’re in labor, or on their way to ER for some other accident? How many times will my daughter be tardy for high school or late to tennis because we didn’t time our trip right, or a train came when we weren’t expecting it? Freight trains don’t travel on regular schedules and commuter train schedules change, so I suppose I'll be stuck waiting quite often.

Trains have always scared me a bit. They’re so loud and fast and heavy. Just the locomotive weighs about 200 tons and trains can’t stop quickly. They can move in either direction and stick out past the tracks. There are times in my life when I feel like my circumstances are like a train. Circumstances come barreling at me or my loved ones and I have to stop what I’m doing and wait. Even if I hear or see a warning, sometimes events scream toward me and I feel like the safety gates barely closed in time to protect me. In Psalm 27:5 it says “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.”

I am trapped in a place that isn’t comfortable or convenient and all I can do is wait on the Lord, just like when I’m trapped by the train.
Psalm 27:4 says, “Wait for the Lord.” It doesn’t help to be impatient, I can’t really change my location or situation, all I can do is trust that the “train” going through my life won’t last forever and God will decide how long until I can move forward.

It’s good to sit still and wait sometimes. Instead of feeling trapped by the trains, I think I’ll use the time to pray and give thanks for the blessings in my life, and to wait expectantly for what might be on the other side of the tracks…