the girl on the bus

i really dont understand how people can have entire phone conversations in public places...especially when they are loud conversations in quiet public places (i.e. the library, the computer lab, and the bus)! its even more perplexing when people seem oblivious to their surroundings and could care less who is listening, who they're bothering, how loud they're talking, what they're talking about, etc. i seriously just dont understand!

well. thats just a random tangent that i'll get back to in a bit. the real point of this post is that when god gives us a commandment, he ALWAYS provides a way to accomplish it (1 Ne 3:7). so this is my faith building experience for today:

tonight was institute. for me, its a commandment to go. last semester i had a lab til 6 so i just stayed on campus and caught the bus to institute. but this semester i get out of class at 4 so i come home. i knew i had to catch the 832 cuz thats the only one that gets me from my house to institute. it leaves 7 peaks at 6:39 and probably gets to my stop around 6:42-ish so i figured if i left my house at 6:35 i would get to my stop on time. i was out the door by 6:36 (only a minute late according to my plan) BUT i got stopped by my neighbor. that added on another 2 minutes. by the time i rounded the corner on 9th and 7th i saw the bus's lights at the top of the hill. so i ran. i HAD to get on that bus cuz there was no way id be able to walk to cinnamon tree by 7!! well folks, my running just didnt cut it. i missed my bus.

so then i thought, now what? walking was outta the question. i could call amy for a ride but i didnt wanna bother her. jennie had already left for work. i didnt wanna bother finding out where our car was...and then, a thoughtball: the 831 leaves golds at 43 every hour. the 830 leaves campus at 48 every hour. if i caught the 831 to campus and then transfered to the 830 at the wilk then i would make it to institute in time! it was brilliant.

i boarded the 831 at 6:45. only 3 minutes left. i was hoping and praying that we would get to the wilk in time. but the light on 8th north took FOR-ever! and then we hit a red at the crabtree. i thought i was doomed. i thought i was gonna have to walk the rest of the way. finally, the bus let us off. it was 6:48. and there was no 830 in sight. did i miss it!? was i too late!? i didnt know...i asked a boy if he'd seen it pass and he didnt know. so i waited, and waited and waited.

the second i saw the 830 turn the corner i was reminded of 1 Ne 3:7. its so true. even in the simple commandments, god always provides a way. it may not be an easy way, or a bump-free/detour-free/problem-free way, or a fun way...but there's always a way. i sighed a HUGE sigh of relief (and gratitude for not needing to walk) and happily boarded the bus.

thats when i encountered the girl on the bus. she was talking SO loud. and she was the only one talking. everyone could hear her! everyone heard her talk about her pen and sword class and how she really wants to be a TA for it and she got an A in it so she feels she's good enough and deserves the job and how she made a goal for a B in her poly-sci class and that she decided she just wasnt gonna stress about it and she went on an on. strange.

anyways, institute was wonderful, as always. my favorite part was when we talked about the parallels between our physical birth and our spiritual re-birth. i'd heard most of the parallels before but the one that stuck out to me this time was the fact that when we are physically born, we look like our parents....and when we are spiritually reborn, we receive christ's image in our countenance's (alma 5:19).

my mind drifted into its own little world for a moment and i thought of how amazing it would be to be so righteous that i emanate christ's light...that i look, and talk, and think, and act as he does....and all i could think was wooowww...thats something that i want. thats something im working towards. thats who i want to become.