I was in the process of writing this reflection, on the subject of train travel, when I heard about the horrific stabbings on the train on Saturday November 1st. In recognition of that significant event, I will pray for the victims as I close.
My love of train travel goes back to childhood. Once I could ride a bike my mother and I would cycle to Derby Road station, in Ipswich, and catch a train to Felixstowe. These outings felt really exciting, especially if we went to the beach station which is now no longer open to the public.
Every summer we travelled from Ipswich to Devon to visit my granny, uncles, aunts and cousins, and much as I loved seeing my extended family, the car journeys were exceedingly long – no motorways then – and often inducive of car sickness. I complained loudly and persistently, until my parents relented and paid for my mother and I to travel by train on 2 occasions. What joy! Looking back, I realise how generous and kind my parents were to do this, and the holiday was no longer accompanied by the misery of a long car journey. The trains of the Great Western Railway were steam powered in those days which brought extra excitement, and smuts on the nose from standing by an open window!
My enjoyment of train travel has been revived in old age, as I have relished the freedom from driving and navigating, and I have valued the time on trains to reflect and to cherish some of the views that bring back special memories, –
The sight of the sea at Dawlish as the train seems to travel along the beach, bringing back the excitement I felt as a child as I went to see my Devonian cousins.
The views of Ely cathedral bring back memories of 5 happy years living in the Fens where my husband was a minister.
The chalk figures on the Hills in Somerset signalling the transition to the green hills and cattle farms of the West Country, after the relative flatness of East Anglia.
The journey across the railway bridge in Plymouth with the magnificent views of the harbour and out into the Channel as the train takes its passengers into Cornwall.
It is when travelling on trains that I can take time to process changes – preparing to meet up with friends I haven’t seen for some time, or feeling sadness at parting from dear ones who I may not see for a long time to come. What have I learned from my times with them and do I need to reassess how I plan my contact with them in future? In our lives we constantly have to deal with change in our own circumstances and that of others, but how often do we take stock on a deeper, more prayerful level?
Prayer – Dear Heavenly Father. We thank you for opportunities to pause, reflect and pray, as we allow our emotions to come to the surface and acknowledge the impact changes can have on us. And we thank you for the opportunity to see again places we have come to love in the varied landscape of our country.
We pray for those injured physically and mentally by the terrible stabbings on a train on 1st November. We pray for their healing and for those members of the emergency services and the public who helped the victims. May they be comforted and supported.
We ask this in the name of Jesus.
Amen