Patrick and I rarely disagree about anything, that is, until we came to the issue of the train. You may know that the train is a major form of transportation in India, and that 20 million people take the train everyday. Since this is such a major way of life for Indians, Patrick decided it was something we should experience for ourselves. In the beginning I was on board with this idea (no pun intended), but the closer we got to our trip the more I started to dread it. We had purchased tickets from Trivandrum to Chennai, a trip that would take 18 hours and cover more that 700 kilometers. The ride would take us from one coast to the other (from west to east.) Did you catch that,
18 hours on a train.
The thing about traveling is it can be really eye opening to the areas of my life that are easy to hide when we're at home. I like to think I'm not high maintenance. I like to think I'm not a princess, but his whole train thing shattered that illusion. The more I complained about not wanting to ride in a non-air conditioned train with non-cushioned seats, the more I realized how spoiled I am. When Patrick asked, "What, you think you're too good for the train?" I saw how proud I am and the sense of self-entitlement that has wedge itself into my heart. Ouch. I saw there was no getting out of this one.
Our train journey began at 5:30 in the morning, which meant we were up at 4:00 to leave the hotel and get to the station. Lucky for us, there were few other travelers at that hour making it much easier for us to find our platform and car number. For the first few hours of our journey we were the only ones in our compartment so we could stretch out on the seats and sleep a bit. Though sleeping was the last thing I wanted to do since there was so much to see. Despite the fact that I'd been a complete brat about getting on that train, God blessed the experience for me. We saw a side of India that we never would have seen had we flown to Chennai. Patrick took a lot of incredible pictures, but they still couldn't capture the beauty of God's creation. I had no idea what a gorgeous country India really is! The best part of the trip was watching the sun come up over the forest of palm trees and catching glimpses of the ocean here and there through the trees.
I'd thought that it would take awhile before I was ready to say that taking the train was worth it, but in truth it didn't take that long. Despite being uncomfortable for so many hours, I'm really glad we did it. I'm grateful that I have a husband who doesn't let me back down from an experience just because deep down I'm a princess who wants to be comfortable. I'm grateful that God gives me grace when I have a rotten attitude and that He is never finished working in my heart. I'm grateful for experiences like this one that show me the parts of my heart that aren't totally surrendered to Christ, because it's in those moments that real growth can happen. Who knew there would be so many life lessons to be learned in Sleeper Class?
Patrick and I rarely disagree about anything, that is, until we came to the issue of the train. You may know that the train is a major form of transportation in India, and that 20 million people take the train everyday. Since this is such a major way of life for Indians, Patrick decided it was something we should experience for ourselves. In the beginning I was on board with this idea (no pun intended), but the closer we got to our trip the more I started to dread it. We had purchased tickets from Trivandrum to Chennai, a trip that would take 18 hours and cover more that 700 kilometers. The ride would take us from one coast to the other (from west to east.) Did you catch that, 18 hours on a train. 
The thing about traveling is it can be really eye opening to the areas of my life that are easy to hide when we're at home. I like to think I'm not high maintenance. I like to think I'm not a princess, but his whole train thing shattered that illusion. The more I complained about not wanting to ride in a non-air conditioned train with non-cushioned seats, the more I realized how spoiled I am. When Patrick asked, "What, you think you're too good for the train?" I saw how proud I am and the sense of self-entitlement that has wedge itself into my heart. Ouch. I saw there was no getting out of this one.
Our train journey began at 5:30 in the morning, which meant we were up at 4:00 to leave the hotel and get to the station. Lucky for us, there were few other travelers at that hour making it much easier for us to find our platform and car number. For the first few hours of our journey we were the only ones in our compartment so we could stretch out on the seats and sleep a bit. Though sleeping was the last thing I wanted to do since there was so much to see. Despite the fact that I'd been a complete brat about getting on that train, God blessed the experience for me. We saw a side of India that we never would have seen had we flown to Chennai. Patrick took a lot of incredible pictures, but they still couldn't capture the beauty of God's creation. I had no idea what a gorgeous country India really is! The best part of the trip was watching the sun come up over the forest of palm trees and catching glimpses of the ocean here and there through the trees. 
I'd thought that it would take awhile before I was ready to say that taking the train was worth it, but in truth it didn't take that long. Despite being uncomfortable for so many hours, I'm really glad we did it. I'm grateful that I have a husband who doesn't let me back down from an experience just because deep down I'm a princess who wants to be comfortable. I'm grateful that God gives me grace when I have a rotten attitude and that He is never finished working in my heart. I'm grateful for experiences like this one that show me the parts of my heart that aren't totally surrendered to Christ, because it's in those moments that real growth can happen. Who knew there would be so many life lessons to be learned in Sleeper Class?
Thank you for sharing this and reminding me also of the selfishness of my own heart. I really appreciate your honesty in all your posts. Yes, thank God for godly husbands who point us back to Christ! And thank the Lord for your soft heart that the Holy Spirit is able to mold so quickly and easily into the likeness of Christ! Love and miss you friend. Looking forward to many adventures like this with you in the future
ReplyDeleteThis, I love:
ReplyDelete"I'm grateful that God gives me grace when I have a rotten attitude and that He is never finished working in my heart. I'm grateful for experiences like this one that show me the parts of my heart that aren't totally surrendered to Christ, because it's in those moments that real growth can happen."
Amen, girlfriend.
You're the best!