"The naïve believes everything.
but the sensible man considers his steps."
Proverbs 14:15 (NLT)
On Thursday of this week, I took five ESL students to tour Edmonton's Parliament Building and watch a theater presentation of Alberta's history in the Federal Building.
We met at the Century Park Light Rail Transit System (LRT) Station at 10:30 AM. However, one student didn't show up, so we waited 10 more minutes, as I checked my cell phone regularly to see if I would get a text from him.
After no sign of or message from this student, a Korean man, I led the group to the train.
When we climbed up the stairs and started the path on the bridge over the main road to the other side to wait for the arrival of a train, a man with a toque and dark glasses came right up beside me. When I turned to look at him, he smiled at me. Uncomfortable at first because I thought he was a stranger, I looked at him quizzically thinking, "Who is this guy? Then I noticed he was Korean, so I thought, "Could it be my student? And I don't recognize him because of his hat and glasses?"
I called him by my student's name to see how he would respond. He smiled again. Still not quite certain though it was him, I asked him outright, "Is that you <his name>? To my surprise and delight, he nodded. Embarrassed, I then told him how glad I was he came, and apologized for not recognizing him right away."
I asked him if he had his train ticket. He again nodded, put his hand in his pocket and brought out a ticket to show it to me. I responded, "Good! I then joyously announced to the other members of the group he was here and told him to follow us."
When we finally boarded the train, to my dismay I noticed this student was no longer with us. Since the train hadn't started to move yet, I left the other students with a helper, and took the chance to run up the stairs to try and find him. Dismally, I couldn't see him anywhere, so I ran back down the stairs and jumped on the train just before the door closed.
While I was on the train, the student texted me. "Where are you?" I told him I was on the train headed toward Grandin Government Center. I asked him where he was, hoping he was on the train too by entering it through a different door. Unfortunately, he said, "No". So, I told him to get on the next train and where to get off. I promised we would wait for him there.
As we anxiously waited at the stop for the next train to come by, we were alarmed when he didn't get off. We were underground at that time, so we climbed up the stairs where I could get cell phone reception. He texted me again, "Where are you?" Bewildered, I asked him the same question. Regrettably I discovered he got off at the wrong stop. Fortunately, the stop wasn't too far away, and we were able to walk to retrieve him.
When I saw him, I was relieved, but puzzled as to why he wasn't any longer wearing his toque or dark glasses. Being late for the Parliament Tour, I did not have the time to ponder this perplexity, until we were back on the train heading home.
While on the train, I finally had the opportunity to ask him what happened. This is when I found out he mistakenly went to the wrong station to meet with us. At that moment, I was filled with horror at the realization I did not know the man I first talked to who was wearing the toque and dark glasses!
That day was a learning experience for me to be more sensible and not easily believe everything I'm told. I don't like to think what that male stranger thought when I told him to come follow me. I think even the Lord must of laughed over that one.
