Last Thursday, I was driving east on 213th street from Calumet Avenue in Dyer and heading toward Indianapolis Boulevard. I was traveling to eventually arrive at 4:00pm Mass at Our Lady of Consolation Church. At the east end of 213th Street is a very busy railroad crossing, where I am often stopped by long trains.

Such was the case last Saturday. There I was tapping, my fingers on my arm rest in the car, getting nervous with that train moving so slowly, and wondering if I would be late for Mass. I was not late in the end.

I found myself thinking that this delay was a waste of time. I was sitting idle while watching car after car go by in what seemed to be an endless progression of various types of railroad cars.

I then asked myself why I was getting so aggravated. I began to wonder what God could be teaching me as I waited.

I thought the passing railroad cars could represent the passing of days, weeks, months and years of our lives. They could represent time spent waiting to get to our final destination, meeting Jesus in heaven at the end of our lives.

I thought the time sitting in my car could reflect how often I might be idle in my life, simply watching time go by; time spent doing nothing meaningful. This idle time might be spent watching TV, or maybe going through motions that have no real value.

I thought that sitting idle at a train track could remind me to change and try to do more meaningful things in life, like praising God and praying more often, to seek God’s help to do what He expects us to do.

Perhaps I need to resolve each day to make an effort to do something meaningful by perhaps going to Mass more than just on Sunday. Maybe I should resolve to reach out to say “hello” to someone who is lonely. Maybe I should simply say a prayer for an unknown person that God knows needs the prayer the most.

Maybe we should all ask God what He might be teaching us in the moments in our lives that seem meaningless.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek