Ek het gister 'n pragtige verhaal gelees wat 'n goeie vriendin van my en my vrou op haar facebook bladsy gedeel het. Dit gaan oor 'n New York taxi bestuurder se ondervinding toe hy een oggend baie vroeg 'n broos ou tannie by haar woonstel moes gaan oplaai.
Dit was nog donker toe hy met sy geel taxi voor haar deur stilhou en op sy kar se toeter druk. Na 'n kort rukkie wou-wou hy amper begin ongeduldig raak omdat niemand na vore kom nie, maar hy besluit toe om tóg maar uit te klim en aan die deur te gaan klop.
Wat dié taxibestuurder nie geweet het toe hy die oggend voor daardie deur stop nie is dat hierdie bejaarde ou tannie wat hy moes kom oplaai terminaal siek was en dat haar dokter haar reeds meegedeel het dat sy nie meer baie lank sou leef nie.
Toe sy uiteindelik die deur oopmaak het hy haar goedjies gevat en tot by die kar gehelp.
Wat hierna gebeur het, is nogal baie kosbaar en het hierdie man (en ek) 'n waardevolle les geleer. Toe die ou tannie by hom in die motor klim het sy gevra dat hulle asb. die lang pad moet neem tot by haar bestemming, hy was vinnig om haar te herinner dat dit meer sou kos en dat daar is 'n korter roete maar sy het net gesê dat sy nie omgee nie en ook glad nie haastig is nie omdat sy op pad is na die hospice om te gaan sterf.
Jy kan gerus die storie self lees. Ek het dit vir jou aan hierdie stukkie bygelas net na die gebed.
Toe hy dit hoor het die taxi bestuurder stil-stil die betaal meter afgeskakel en dié ou tannie op die ou einde vir twee ure lank net rondgery na al die verskillende plekke in die stad waarvan sy nog mooi herinneringe koester.
Dit sou daardie dag haar laaste besoek ooit aan al hierdie plekke wees.
Die man wat die taxi bestuur vertel in sy verhaal dat hy kon vir lank na hy die bejaarde tannie reeds afgelaai het nie ophou dink aan die feit dat hy deel was van daardie ou tannie se laaste dae op hierdie aarde nie en dit was ook vir hom 'n kosbare en uiters spesiale oomblik.
Die feit is dat ons elkeen kry elke dag sulke kanse om die lewe vir iemand beter te maak. God gee vir elke gelowige iets waarmee hy jou vertrou om ander mense se lewens mee beter te maak, ons praat gewoonlik daarvan as 'n “bediening” en onthou, 'n bediening is nie altyd noodwendig iets wat nét binne in die kerk gebeur nie.
Dit is nie nét die dominee of die pastoor wat gereken kan word as mense wat in 'n bediening staan nie, nee, daar is bitter baie ander dinge wat die Here vir Sy kinders gee om te doen en (neem kennis) Hy kyk ook na jou om te sien of jy daarmee vertrou kan word, Hy hou jou as’t ware dop.
Wanneer dit dan wel die geval is dat God sien jy is ernstig daarmee met wat Hy vir jou gegee het, kan jy amper verwag dat Hy op een of ander stadium na jou toe gaan kom en sê: “Nou maar reg, jy was getrou in die min wat ek aan jou toevertrou het en nou gaan ek vir jou nóg meer gee.”
In Lukas 16: 10 staan daar geskryf: “Julle moet eerlik wees, selfs ook in die heel kleinste dingetjies wat julle doen. As julle vertrou kan word met kleingeld, sal julle ook vertrou kan word met 'n hele sak vol geld. Aan die ander kant, as julle nie eens vertrou kan word met 'n paar sent nie, hoe sal julle dan eerlik wees wanneer julle besigheid doen?
Moet nooit dink dat die klein goedjies wat jy doen is onbenullig of dalk nie die moeite werd om dit met opregtheid en oorgawe te doen nie, dit is dalk net iets wat die Here self van jou verwag om te doen en wie weet, kort voor lank sien jy ook dat die Here jou met nog meer begin vertrou.
Sterkte!
Kom ons bid. Here God wys my asb. elke dag waar die geleenthede lê om selfs net ietsie kleins te doen wat U vir my gee en waarmee ek vir U en dalk iemand anders bly kan maak. Help my om altyd getrou te bly in die klein dinge Here sodat ek ook eendag deur U bevorder kan word en met nog meer vertrou kan word. Ek vra dit in die naam van Jesus Christus. Amen.
A sweet lesson on patience.
A NYC Taxi driver wrote:
I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.
There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'
'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'
'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..
'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.
We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse. 'Nothing,' I said
'You have to make a living,' she answered.
'There are other passengers,' I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.She held onto me tightly.
'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'
I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life..
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.
We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.
But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
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