Meeting The Train

Meeting the Train

God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

When I was in college in the early 1970s (okay, you don’t have to calculate to figure out how old I am), I loved to play the guitar and sing folk songs. One of those songs was called “This Train.” The lyrics included this line: “This train is bound for glory—this train!” And I always thought, I want to be on this train.

Somehow, though, riding other trains can be a bit more challenging, and their destinations can be less definite than the one for “this train.” For instance, after having been absent from home for several days, Alice Hathaway, the first wife of Theodore Roosevelt, wired her husband to meet her at a certain train station.

Hurrying to be on time to meet her, Colonel Ted arrived at the train station just in time to see the train whiz past at great speed, not slowing down at all, much less stopping to allow passengers to disembark.

Somewhat bewildered, Ted stared at the speeding cars and was even more astonished to see his pretty wife standing on the very back platform frantically waving an important-looking envelope in her hand. Spying him, she threw it at him, and then she waved, disappearing with the train as it rounded the corner.

Scrambling about in the bushes into which the envelope had fallen, the colonel finally found it and quickly opened it. He was amused and somewhat relieved to read the following note: “Dear Ted, This train doesn’t stop here.”

Fortunately for us as Christians, the train that is bound for glory does stop here. It stops right in front of us and allows us to climb aboard and ride nonstop through the gates of heaven into eternal glory with God. And oh, what a destination that will be!

All aboard!

Thank you, Lord, for the trip of a lifetime! It has been a glorious ride so far. Amen.