The Most Important Training I Went Through For This Trip
Welcome to the next daily installment of this true story, which you can find posted here each afternoon until it comes to an end.
Chapter 65: Training
In 2023, the Holy Spirit has had me three times pick up the Bible to read cover to cover.
He has 3 dozen times told me to wake up and host a Bible study online, with zero preparation outside of prayer.
He has half a dozen times told me to read a book with a group of people - with each book, even the most perceptibly ungodly of books, pointing directly back to God through the discussions.
Occasionally, people tell me they are blessed by my Bible studies, by my Bible readings, by my book discussions, and by my encouraging emails. I am happy that these things are a blessing to others. That makes me happy. And I also know God is using that time to shape me and to train me — to build the muscles He wants built and to slim down the parts that are too heavy. To stretch the sinews that are too tight, and to make firm some parts that feel lax to Him, or poorly toned. To make reflexive some of what he wants automatic in me, and to grow patience in ways that He sees me too hotheaded.
Each session that I show up ready to be trained, I walk away, hardly able to speak, for I am left in total awe of what God has just shown me. Some people believe I am doing it for them. Some people believe I am doing it to be nice, or to be good. I am doing this because I entirely believe this is what God wants from me. Everything other than that is a blessing from God. I am simply doing my best to obey.
Step by step, He makes me into a better servant of His. I am watching it happen. I am just trying to stay out of His way, which to me means to pray, to obey — to seek Him and to diligently do exactly as He says and as instantly as I possibly can.
Sometimes I miss the instruction — a lot of times, in fact, but each time, I know I am getting a little bit closer to God, growing a little bit more capable of understanding.
Chapter 66: Missing The Stop
Sometimes trains leave on time. Sometimes trains come in late. Sometimes they are scheduled to stay ten minutes. Those trains that come in late and are scheduled to stay ten minutes do not always stay ten minutes. Those who expect a train to stay ten minutes and move off the train according to that incorrect assumption do not always make it out the door in time. When your stop is coming up, it is best to have your bags and yourself ready to go, instead of starting to say your goodbyes as you are pulling into the station. Your author writes this from experience. My stop was going to be one before Chicago Union Station, but I ended up getting to go all the way.
Chapter 67: Majestic Thanksgiving Weather
Thanksgiving time on the California Zephyr means this: every season, every weather pattern, and many geographical textures that America has to offer, all put on display for you to see. It is a truly hard to beat experience.
Warm Bay Area, dry Sierras, arid, high desert, plains of Nebraska, farmland, snow west of the Moffat Tunnel in Winter Park, blizzard east of the Moffat Tunnel toward Denver, you name it, you see it.
Chapter 68: A Prayed Over Train
When you travel, walk the train, pray over the train. Bless that place. Touch every seat. Pray blessings over what work of the Holy Spirit will take place the next few days in that seat. Be part of the excitement and camaraderie of the place. The train changes into a more memorable adventure when you have a few people set on building relationships. When those relationships are with God foremost, all the rest of the relationships are taken to the next level.
-Allan Stevo
This is a selection from my forthcoming book, “The Amtrak Vignettes.” A neat story began with the writing of “The Amtrak Vignettes” in October 2023. Every day until that story comes to an end, I intend to share a part of it here. It is a part of my faith journey as a Christian, a faith journey that has been deepened since the Ides of March 2020. Some of it gets pretty wild and nothing that a “reasonable” person would find himself in the midst of. Few will be scared off by it. Instead, many will grow deeper in their faith. I know that, because I know my readers well, and I know that few come here expecting me to give a milquetoast version of anything. Come here to be challenged. Stay here to have your life changed. That, I believe, is what will come of this work. You can support that work by signing up below.