Day 132 of 365 days of solace: Bus Ride Adventures

Selfie with my summer camp girl.

My daughter needed to get up to a church youth summer camp this week.  Since our van is broken, I decided to take her to camp by bus. I brought 3 of my other children with me. (My fifth child, age 17, is on a humanitarian mission building schools in Mexico.)

Little brother points to big brother
to look at something out the window. 

When I climbed on the bus, I asked the bus driver to please let me know when we arrived at a certain building on campus.  She assured me she would.  My children and I sat down at the back of the bus. 

A man in his 30's turned toward me.  He has one eye that was tightly shut (I assume there was no eye under the lid). He spoke with slow, drawn out words, and with he gravely, deep voice, he often paused, or repeated his words. Although his one eye sometimes looked my direction, I couldn't help wonder if he was partially blind in it. began to tell me what bus stop I needed to get off at. He was very nice, but it was clear that he had some type of cognitive impairment. I listened to his directions, which weren't particularly helpful, but then I smiled and thanked him "for letting me know."

I then turned back to my daughter, who I was taking to camp. She's 15 and I wanted to take out the small tree leaves (for lack of a better word...there were smallish round, pod-like things) that had dropped into her hair at the bus stop. As I began to pick out the little white balls from her hair, the man I'd been speaking too reached over and gave a gentle tug to my long hair to get my attention. 

I was not bothered by it, and I turned to him and smiled to see what he wanted.  He wanted to add some other type of information to the bus stop that I could get off at. It really wasn't needed information, but I thought of how the Savior ministered to people in need.  I knew that in a small way I could minister to this man by giving him my time and attention.  

I began asking "Nathan" if he was from around here, and if he was going to work.  I really listened to him and I showed interest in him as a person.  In fact, I became interested in what he was talking about.  I learned he was going to his mom's work to have lunch, and that he was born here, and I also learned some unexpected, and fascinating history of what used to be in the lower parking lot of a nearby LDS temple.

If I had allowed my distraction of cleaning out my daughter's hair to keep me from giving this man
my time, I would not have had the opportunity of his pleasant company. I learned that the time we give others doesn't need to be big and expensive, but that the little things make the difference.  

If you think about it, can you recall a time when someone paid attention to you and showed interest in things about yourself?  I know that I can remember many times where someone listened to me. There is something special that happens when people really take time to listen to us.  Listening of itself can be a gift to others. Is there someone you can give the gift of listening and attention to? 

My daughter read us family scriptures in the 20 minutes
that we had while waiting for the bus. She's a sweetheart!

You can't give the gift of listening while you are on the computer, cell phone, or reading the 

newspaper! I suggest that you use this gift of kind listening to bless the lives of others. There are opportunities all around us, each day of our lives. If you are prayerful, and seek the help of the Lord, He will help you to see where our gift of listening is needed--but starting in our homes is the most important place to begin.

God Bless You, 

Christine