Finding the Way Home – A Short Story

It’s a busy week visiting family in Austin, and I don’t have time to write a new post for today. Plus I don’t seem to have any good ideas for what to write. Since I’m traveling I decided I would re-post this short story that involves travel. I originally wrote this to be posted at Idylls for the King.

Susie stood at the bus station wondering which bus she was supposed to take. She was so lost and didn’t know how to get to where she wanted to go.

She approached the ticket booth and asked the clerk, “I want to go Home. Can you tell me which bus to take?”

“It don’t much matter,” answered the clerk. “They all go the same place.”

“But each bus has a different town shown on the front. They can’t all go my Home,” argued Susie.

“They all end up the same place, that’s all I know,” said the clerk. “Do you want a ticket or not?”

“I guess not,” Susie mumbled as she walked away. She knew all the buses could be the same, but she didn’t have any idea how to know which one to take.

Brett was standing nearby. He cautiously approached Susie. “Hi, my name is Brett. I overheard your conversation with the clerk,” he said. “I think I can help.”

Susie was startled, but something about Brett made her feel comfortable with him. “Do you know which bus will take me Home?”

“I just happen to have the bus schedule and free tickets for the right bus,” Brett offered. He handed her a small book with “John” written on the front. “Let me show you where your ticket is.” Brett turned in the book to chapter 3 and pointed to verse 16, which read:

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV).

Susie smiled. This was the information she had been looking for. She thanked Brett and accepted the book and her free ticket Home.

As she began to walk away she stopped, thinking of the clerk. She approached the ticket booth again. “Sir,” she said, “I found out how to get Home, and since you didn’t seem to know when I asked before I thought I would share this wonderful news with you, too.” As she began to show the clerk what she had learned, Brett smiled and walked on, looking for another lost soul who was in need of directions Home.