A View From A Train

Greetings from Birmingham ~

This is the first chance I've had to post anything. The train doesn't have internet access, and the last 2 hotels I stayed at didn't have internet either (they advertised that they do, but...).

Day One:

I walked from the hotel in Sacramento to the train station at 5:30 am. It was only 2 blocks, but a little creepy. The train traveled at about 70 miles per hour to the East Bay (Martinez), so I had high hopes of a quick trip. I can dream.
Actually, even with all the stops, I love train travel. It's very relaxing, and enjoyable. I shared a meal and visited with a couple guys during that leg of the journey. One was from Finland, and kept talking about how much he hates the Russians..."the only good Russian is a dead Russian".
He said that more than once.
The other guy lives in Monterey and runs some big company based in Finland. They did not know each other before boarding the train. Anyway, they are both very wealthy, and snobs, so they weren't really interested in what I had to say, but that didn't stop me. I talked their ears off all during lunch. I had a great time :)

I don't want to start this off on a low note, but I do need to comment on what I saw from the train window. It was worse in the Bay Area, but I saw it all the way south... homelessness. It's so much worse than what they portray on tv and in the movies. It just broke my heart to see the way people live. It's not living, it's existing...barely. You know what's behind all those trees that line the freeways, homeless folks. The lucky ones have a disgusting matress to lay on. One even had a frayed pup tent. Most had a blanket or cardboard that they slept on.
Then there were the houses lining the tracks. Not really houses but shacks that I'm sure would be condemed if they were ever inspected.
All this to say what I hope you already know...we are so blessed. I already knew that, but seeing up close what so many live like, made me feel all the more blessed. I know most of those people are there because of poor choices they've made, but I believe we are supposed to show compassion for them. Thank God for all you have, and pray for those less fortunate.

I had shared with a couple of folks that I was a little apprehensive about arriving at the LA station after dark. It didn't bother me at all. It's a beautiful station, and I never felt uncomfortable at all. From there, I experienced the wildest ride I've ever been on in my life... the taxi ride from the station to the hotel. In the days to come, I'll be sharing some hair-raising experiences, including hurricane Ike, but nothing compares to that cab ride. Yikes!!
Through all this first day, I experienced no fear or anxiety. God is good!

It is very late here and I have church tomorrow, so I'll share more later. Have a happy Lord's day tomorrow, and please keep praying for me. I'm having a blast!
Be Blessed,
Matt