Vastness

I went to Shenyang, a nearby city, the other day by train. Outside the train station is usually a line of people waiting for a cab. This day, no line. It was rainy and cold and a mess of people trying to get in a dry taxi. I joined the mob. After about 10 minutes, a guy finally pulled over towards me. Another passenger got on the front, and I hopped in the back after telling him I wanted to go to the embassy. After realizing the driver didn't turn on the meter, the following convo followed (obviously in Chinese):
Me (to the passenger since the driver was on the phone): Is he going to use the meter?
Passenger: I don't know. You should ask him. *Hmm, fishy.*
Me (to driver, finally done gabbing): Are you going to use the meter?
Driver: Where are you going again?
Me: The American embassy.
Driver (severely mumbling): 100kuai
Me: What? Can you say it again, slower this time?
Driver (slightly better): 100 kuai (~$15)
Me: What?! Stop the car, I'm getting out! Slammed door, super mad.

Later, I got in a legit taxi that didn't want to rip me off because I'm a foreigner and it cost a mere 15 kuai with the meter.

So, I went there because I had to get pages added to our passports. I so wish they would've let me sew in the pages myself instead of charging me $85 per passport. Instead, the took all my money and made me wait in a cold, bleak room for 2 hours with nothing. I mean nothing. They took my purse, book, phone, everything. Even my chapstick. Don't they know some people are addiction to a certain yellow tube of lip satisfaction?!

But what was interesting was that since everyone was stripped of all their "stay to myself" devices, it forced everyone to talk to each other. I talked to everyone in the room waiting, as they were one-by-one called up to retrieve whatever they were waiting for. I actually enjoyed hearing everyone's story...why they were in this foreign land.

On the hour and a half train ride home, we all got to see this beautiful sunset.

 

As people were leaning over my window seat to snap a picture for themselves, something struck me. This vast, vast land with over a billion people needs the same shining Light the sun provides for us every day. I was hit with how awesome the sky and land looked with the orange sun covering it all. (My pics through the train window truly don't do it justice.) Just like the Father's arms cover all of us. Every day.

My heart swelled for the locals all over again. May they learn of His vast love and grace. Soon.

Even better, to top this off, was that the entire day was rainy, windy, and cold. What a perfect ending.