Never Alone

After the passing of my husband of over fifty years, I keenly felt the loss of his companionship. On my morning walks, I sang songs, such as “O Let Me Walk With Thee” and “I Must Have the Saviour With Me.” The lyrics not only eased my loneliness but also expressed my need for God. One morning I went to Bangkok, Thailand, which was about 93 miles (150 kilometers) from the university where I taught. A private company provided van services to the school and charged 30 Thai baht for the drive from the campus to the station in Muak Lek and an additional 100 Thai baht from Muak Lek to Bangkok. On my return journey, I found the waiting room at the Bangkok station unusually empty. I walked directly to the Muak Lek counter to purchase my ticket, and the lady looked up, smiled, and asked, “For two people?” Surprised, I glanced around and, seeing no one else, answered, “No, just one.” I paid the fare, proceeded to the van, and took one of two empty seats behind the driver. Just before departure, the driver came through to take a head count. I stated, “Michan” (“Mission,” as the school was known) and gave him my fare. A puzzled look crossed his face as he looked at the money and walked to his seat. He returned after a minute and said, “Ajarn [Teacher], to Michan is thirty baht.” “Yes,” I replied. “I gave you thirty.” “For two people, sixty baht.” I looked around to see whether there was anyone from the school whom he could have mistaken as my companion. I found no familiar face. “I am one person, one passenger,” I clarified. Along the way, he picked up more passengers.

No one took the one seat beside me. I wondered why.

I shared the story later with my daughter. “Oh, Mom,” she exclaimed, “you should have paid for two passengers. Who knows? It could have been your angel they saw.” I agreed. It was a slow realization for me, but on that day, God used a ticket vendor, a van driver, a van full of passengers, and an empty seat to teach me that He will always be with me.

Bienvisa Ladion Nebres