JOY IN THE JOURNEY. A Lesson from China.

If you are anything like me, then the idea of an hour long commute is probably making you exhausted just reading about it. But this month in China, Papa has been encouraging me to make the most of the journey.

We booked an apartment in town before we knew where our work would be located, not realizing that the commute would entail about an hour’s worth of travel on a metro. For those of you who have been on a metro, you know the atmosphere: stuffy, crowded, people looking down at their phones, and silence seems to be maintained by everyone at all costs. Not only that, but no one seems to enjoy themselves on a metro. Simple smiles are very few and far between.

And when I enter into a metro, I usually find a way to blend in with the crowd. Headphones are in, phone is out, and I tend avoid eye contact with people as much as possible. But this month, God encouraged me to make the most of the journey. Who says ministry begins once you arrive at your destination? Life is ministry, ministry is life, and life sometimes comes with a commute.

So I began to see the metro as an opportunity to bring joy to people. After all, God calls His children to stand out, not blend in. So as I entered the train each day, I put in my headphones, turned on one of my favorite songs to dance to, and then I would dance, mouth the words to the song, and smile at every person I made eye contact with.

Yes, even when you don’t have room to breathe, joy can be found! (This is Taiwan, Not China)

And I began to notice something. People actually began to smile back. I would find myself laughing with someone. People would try to make conversation with me. And I got to play with soooo many precious babies who enjoyed seeing me dance and laugh.

One night in particular, we were riding the metro home, and this mom and her little girl sat next to me on the train. I made eye contact with those precious little eyes, and there was an immediate connection. I made funny faces and said little prayers over baby girl and her mom in English as I played with her. We laughed and played the entire metro ride home.

When plans fall through and you have to sleep outside a train station, praise God for at least providing a roof over our heads!!

At one point during the ride, I got my phone out and used Google Translate to talk with the mom. As we were talking, I was thinking of a way to encourage her or share Jesus with her in some way. Immediately, the Lord brought to mind a small crochet cross that was given to my entire squad at the start of our trip. And I knew it was God because in all honestly, I forgot I even had that sweet little gift. But I did, and I pulled it out to give it to her.

Admittedly, I was a little nervous to hand this woman a cross on a public train in China, but the Lord assured me that she would be protected and that He would use it. So when I arrived at my station, I waved goodbye to the little girl, and handed her mom the cross. A big smile spread across her face and she thanked me as I exited the train.

And that was that! And to think, it all started because I began to see joy in the journey just as much as the destination. Travel can be tedious, tiresome, and boring, especially if you have to travel for long periods of time. But I’ve found that a simple smile and a joyful attitude can make a world of difference not only in my life, but in the lives of those around me. When you live counter to what culture dictates, beautiful things can happen and wonderful opportunities can come up.

I never thought I would say this, but I actually have enjoyed every train ride I have been on this month, simply because God told me that I could. I encourage you to seek ways to bring the joy of the Lord into the mundane in your life. Joy can be found in the journey, just as much as the destination!

waking Up from a good (??) night‘s sleep on a sleeper bus!

***i Have no pictures of the Chinese metro, so enjoy these pics from other travel days!