Through the Eyes of the Bus Worker

Across our nation, there is an army of tens of thousands of faithful, godly servants who quietly serve our Savior in the bus ministry. They are on the front lines in the spiritual battle for the souls of the next generation. They are the green berets, the special forces of God’s army, getting their hands dirty, giving of their time and money to make a difference in a little boy or little girl for whom no one else seems to care.

I have had the privilege to be involved in the bus ministry in some capacity for more than twenty years now. There are not many folks that I respect more than those who go out, week after week, in the relative obscurity of an old, second-hand school bus or church van, to reach those whom Jesus would reach if He were walking in our shoes today.

Several years ago, at our annual Pastors’ & Workers’ Conference, Dr. Bobby Roberson was preaching. He has been pastor of the Gospel Light Baptist Church in Walkertown, North Carolina, for more than fifty years. Every week, their church brings in thousands of people by way of the bus ministry. As he was preaching, he read a poem entitled Through the Eyes of the Bus Worker, and it touched my heart. I would like to share it with you here:

Some see a fight, a push and a shove,
I see a desperate cry for love.

Some see a brat, he acts so bad,
I see a boy who’s never met his dad.

Some see the messes and the trouble they give,
I see the poverty in the place where they live.

Some see a teenager who won’t dress right,
I see a girl who has to protect herself at night.

Some see a smart mouth, disrespectful and loud,
I see a kid made fun of by a crowd.

Some see a woman who comes just to use,
I see a lady by a drunken husband abused.

Some see a drug addict withered and worn,
I see a soul the Lord wants reborn.

Some see the dirt, the filth and the rot,
I see a kid who without Jesus doesn’t have a shot.

Some see a crook whom you don’t trust much,
I see a man who needs the Lord’s touch.

Some see a bunch of heathen who holler and yell,
I see kids with parents in jail.

Some see a teenager who gives a lot of flack,
I see a boy whose whole family is on crack.

Broken homes, broken lives, those without hope,
They need compassion and God’s grace to cope.

For every little girl who lies awake hungry at night,
Lord, help me to keep in the fight.

For every scared boy who sees his mommy get hit,
Lord, help me to be faithful and never to quit.

For every mommy who needs a new start,
Lord, help me to show her how to ask You into her heart.

For every man on whom sin has its hold,
Lord, help me to make sure the “Old Story” is told.

The Lord to me His mercy has shown,
Lord, help me to reach out so others may make Heaven their home.

May others judge gently when these folks they see—
If not for God’s grace, that’s where all of us would be.

by Crystal Buchanan, Shining Light Baptist Church, Morganton, NC

Through what type of eyes will you and I see people during this new year of 2010? May we be consumed with compassion as we serve our Savior in this new decade!

God bless you as you serve the King of kings, doing the greatest business in all the world!