Life on the Bus...Part 2

Back to the idea I started last week, describing life on the (church) bus. The first two groups of people on the bus are:

#1 Tourists - Tourists love that the bus runs, that it goes places, and that they don't have to do anything. The are along for the ride. As the bus rolls along, they find themselves in familiar places, and that's okay, but sometimes they find themselves in unfamiliar places, and it causes some stress. The new neighborhoods don't look the same as they are used to, and they can get nervous, and they will complain on occasion that the bus isn't what they are used to.

Tourists will also have a problem with being asked to help the bus get where it needs to go. They don't necessarily enjoy the thought of having responsibilities, being asked to lend a hand with bus operations, and they believe that 'someone else' can do it, or that the bus driver should handle all of the details of keeping the bus moving forward. Some tourists believe that they have done their time and are now 'retired' from bus life, with nothing left but to ride the bus until they get to the final stop.

#2 Lend a Hand-ers - Some folks on the bus realize that for the bus to successfully accomplish it's mission, they have to be involved. They know that one person (the driver) cannot do all that needs to be done. Blind spots on such a large vehicle mean that some folks need to help the driver see what's going on around them. When the bus stops for fuel, Lend a Hand-ers pitch in for the cost of fuel, they help others to get refreshments, and they make sure that no one wanders off and misses the departure time. When the bus picks up new people, Lend a Hand-ers help the new folks to find a place, familiarize them with the workings of the bus, and introduce them to other folks on the bus.

So how can you tell if you are a Tourist or a Lend a Hand-er? There's a set of questions to look at here, but my guess is you probably know. For those who think I'm calling you a Tourist when you're trying to find your place to Lend a Hand, let me say: if you're looking, you're lending a hand.

See you on the bus.