The Train Ride

I have the luxury of traveling a few short minutes, ending up in the center of American luxury and consumerism. I love downtown Chicago. Since I can remember my family traveled frequently to the city shopping, eating, and enjoying the Christmas lights.

Those memories are precious. I cherish the innocents I had in that magical place then.

Tonight I traveled into the city alone on my way to meet up with several college friends. I took the Redline train thinking I would have a nice, peaceful ride after a long day of serving coffee.

> A Quick God Moment

I hesitate to share this with you; however, I believe it’s important for someone to hear. Today I started work at 5AM. I haven’t seen 5AM in years, well… not on the waking up side at least.

A lady came in today and ordered a coffee, nothing unusual. She then proceeded to spill it all over the table she was sitting at soaking her coat, purse, scarf, and newspaper. I sincerely felt bad for her and then realized it was my job to clean it up. Then I started feeling bad for myself. “That sucks,” I thought in my head.

As I helped the lady clean her things, she profusely apologized. I assured her it was fine and happened all the time. She went into the restroom and I continued to clean her spill.

I am not sure why God uses weird situation to speak to us, but I felt during that moment God spoke to me. Here I was, graduated from college, had an extremely lucrative job several months ago, and now I am cleaning up someone’s coffee. I suddenly smiled while thinking, “Lord, your ways are higher than my ways. Your thoughts higher than my thoughts.”

The joy I felt at that moment was indescribable. I’m making minimum wage, cleaning someone’s coffee mess, and never have I felt more joy and happiness in what I do, even at 5am.

I’m not saying that you should leave your dreams and desires and go work at a coffee shop or something to that nature. This is my story, my journey. Go find your dreams!! I do encourage and invite you to live radically. For you, radical may look different than what it does for me. I don’t understand the radicalness of Christ and his message.

I do know this. We shouldn’t be surprised, then, that to follow Christ is to abandon the luxury of safety and security. It looks different for all of us. Never give up your search. No matter how crazy an inadequate you may feel at times, press on.

> Back To The Story

As I loaded the stuffy and overcrowded train, I found a place to stand next to a loud drunken man (I figure this ride was going to be interesting). The gentleman he was sitting near quickly had enough and moved through the crowd near the front of the train.

What happened next shocked me. The drunken man began talking somewhat suggestively to a little girl sitting with her mom. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. In shock I froze and so did everyone else. This girl couldn’t have been older than 6 and by her body language, she expressed great discomfort, eventually pulling herself as close as she could to her mother. The man then insisted he didn’t want to hurt her, just talk.

It all happened so fast, but next thing I knew I had extended my hand and asked the man what his name was. “What’s your name?” he slurred somewhat shrewdly. I politely said, “Ted” and he then told me his name, Billy. Billy openly admitted to me, and to the entire train, he was high and drunk. “Ya think,” I thought to myself. After Billy had called me a liar, threatened to beat me up, and said he wasn’t talking to me anymore we arrived at Chicago Avenue, my exit. Thank God!!

As I got up to leave he was still talking. Billy suddenly turned nice and told me to have a good day and gave me five. As I walked out of the train I heard him yell, “take care.” Fortunately the little girl and her mom got off at that exit too. She thanked my again and again saying how they were new to the city and thought it was very scary, especially at that moment. After making small talk for several minutes, we said goodbye and went our separate ways.

This story certainly isn’t a story showing any courage on my part…I don’t know how I started speaking with this man. Looking back, I was in such shock at first its as if God took over and used me through my momentary standstill.


I had a good time hanging with my friends. We went to Gap and noticed they were pushing their (RED) product.

Go buy some and help stop aids in Africa.

It’s at least something. The world won’t change unless someone takes a step. It may be small, but it’s better than no step at all.

I leave you with this.

We are at war. We are at war with ourselves (We are so selfish, our default mode is me). We are at war with others in the name of freedom. We’re in bondage to our freedom.

Again, Love Wins!!!

It may get you killed, but in the end it will win.

Love Recklessly.

It’s our only hope. We fight violence with peace, hatred with love, and oppression with servanthood. Jesus was crucified not in spite of His love, but because of it.

I’m here, you’re there. We’re still in the same boat. Hurting helpless people all around.

Sometimes all we can do is ask questions and show we care, even if their drunk, high, or possibly worse. I didn’t get far with Billy, but for some reason I was on that train at that point in time and so was he.