Devotional
A Life Lesson from Regina
Three weeks from this past Sunday, we will celebrate Easter.
It is the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead. In John 16:33, it says He overcame the world for us so we could have peace. In doing so, He gave us the single most important piece of information we will ever need. He told us to “take heart!” and He promised us our ultimate solution — everlasting life.
And yet, it is easy to lose sight of that and become distracted by the troubles. Even the small ones.
One year, I accompanied some students on an exciting and fast-paced externship. Things didn’t start out as planned. Our flight was delayed, and our schedule thrown off, along with our transportation.
I was worried we wouldn’t make it to our first important event. That seemed like the wrong way to begin our journey.
As we were checking into the hotel at the front desk, we discussed how we might quickly get across the city. Could we drop our bags, change clothes, and get an Uber – one that fits 7 people – fast enough?
An unexpected voice behind the counter said, “I could take you.”
I looked up confused. Who was this? And why would they offer to drive us?
It was a hotel shuttle driver named Regina. In our rushing around in the hotel, I hadn’t noticed her in the lobby or her van outside. She happened to be on duty with no prior requests scheduled.
Our destination was outside of her driving zone, but Regina offered to take us anyway. We made it on time, and the students achieved their goal that night. All because of Regina.
A small trouble had left me unfocused and anticipating more troubles. Regina didn’t have to drive us. She didn’t have to speak up and let us know she was available. And she didn’t have to go further than her usual route.
But she did! And that surprised me. She reminded me to expect peace and hope. While riding in the van, my sense of calm was restored. Don’t worry so much about such little things, I told myself.
Our world is complicated, and we can expect to run into troubles, big and small. Jesus told us so. But we should also expect the peace, hope and redemption He promised us.
During our season of Lent, let us remember that as we inch closer to April 20, Easter Sunday. That is the day we will celebrate when the stone rolled away, hope came in the morning, and He made the ultimate sacrifice.
What a gift Jesus gave us! He overcame the world. Through this lens, we can see that everything else –– everything –– is secondary.
By Pam Haynes, Class of 2009, HPU’s Vice President of Communications.
