My good friend, known as the Stationmaster, and his wife, turned 60 and invited a group of friends to celebrate their birthdays at the Muisbosskerm, on the West Coast.

Well, if you want to lick your fingers and eat until your tummy feels like bursting, you have to go there, and like the Spur advert goes: “Come hungry!” And did we eat! It was such a pleasure to celebrate a good friend’s big birthday with a group of friends.

There weren’t many speeches, because that’s not his style. He simply told a straightforward story of his life being like a train and friends getting on at the different stations of his life. Some friends stayed longer than others, but all of them had had an impact on his life. And for that he thanked us!

But we friends should actually thank him for the privilege we had to ride on his train. You see, it’s not difficult to ride on his train, because everywhere the train meandered through life, it was always fun. On the Stationmaster’s train of friends, you are always being served. Served with anything to make life easier for you.

Even when you phone him, he answers the call with: “How can I help you today?” or “What can I do for you?”

I mentioned that his style is not one of speeches and many words. His style is to speak through his actions. I suspect that somewhere along the way this instruction became part of his being and he cannot do otherwise but to act like this everywhere he goes: ¹⁶Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of “sacrifice”—that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.

Actually, we’re all stationmasters and every day we have a chance to let people onto the train. Some we let onto our own friendship train. It’s part of the command to do good to the people around us.

But I know from listening to others, that the Stationmaster helps many on their trains. He quickly gets on the train of a friend’s child and gives advice on the tracks of life that lie ahead. Sometimes he walks across the platform to help people whose train had stopped along the way, to get going again. Sometimes it takes time, sometimes it takes something from his wallet. Most of the time it takes energy.

He’s an example for us all. Yes, I know he sometimes slips across the lines, but I do know that God often smiles when He looks at the Stationmaster walking across the platform.

We should talk less for a while, open our eyes and see where God wants us to help other people with their trains. Let’s be good stationmasters and help people with their trains. Let’s allow others to get onto our trains and just be good to them. God will certainly be happy with us …

Scripture
Hebrews 13:9-16

Reflection
What does your platform look like?
Are the trains changed when they move on?
Does God like your deeds?

Prayer
Father, I realise that I’ve also been commanded to be good to others. Help me open my eyes. Help me to see the places where I have to do good and help me to do it. Amen.