1985: Buses and Angels

Getting to school in the 80s in Subang Jaya, Malaysia was a lot of fun. If you took a bus to school, you had two options: private or public buses. If you had a private bus option, you probably took the ubiquitous “yellow colored uncle or auntie” school bus. Alternatively if it’s the public bus option, in my case I could take the famous “Sri Jaya” buses (see picture). Mind you, there was no such thing as an air conditioned bus option because they were so rare!

bus stopOne afternoon, I had to travel from Subang Jaya where I lived to my Secondary school (Sultan Abdul Samad) located in Petaling Jaya. Back then, most bus stops in the neighborhood were pretty much a vaguely marked pole with a metal bus flag stuck in the dirt. Bus shelters were a luxury, and there was NO way you can sit down to rest because there were no seats! Essentially, you flag a bus down by waving your hands frantically at the looming bus that’s approaching you, and hope the driver catches your attention and stops the bus.

A Sri Jaya bus (likely a route #252) was looming when I saw it chugging down the main road. I quickly ran towards the approaching bus, struggling with my heavy school bagpack on my shoulders. As the bus slowed down, I hopped up clumsily onto the rear entrance of the bus with one foot. I literally ‘jumped’ onto the bus, whilst my other foot was hanging off the bus.

rear door bus

The bus started driving off and picked up speed. I doubt he could tell if I had boarded the bus or not because I was semi-hidden by the rear door. Furthermore, you had to climb up 3 or 4 steep steps in order to be fully visible. I was just on step one.

One foot was on the bus, one foot was off the bus. I started to lean backwards and I wasn’t holding on to the rails

I knew I was going to fall off the bus.

Not good.

To my amazement, I felt a strong hand holding my back that prevented me from falling off the bus. That invisible hand steadied me for the split second until I could grab one of the handles and drag myself up the bus.

Panting, and with my heart racing at 100kms/hr, I sat down and recalled what happened. I didn’t fall off the bus and hurt myself! I knew I had experienced God’s protection. 

Bottom line, I find God and His protection real.

Psalms 91:9-11 “If you make the Most High your dwelling – even the Lord, who is my refuge – then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways”

 

Translation


by Transposh - translation plugin for wordpress
admin Written by:

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.