It is an early spring day in 1855. A great throng of people have gathered at a train station in northern Arkansas, anxiously waiting for the arrival of a special train – an orphan train. Some came to adopt children, while others came because they wanted to witness this extraordinary event of human life and drama. Can you imagine the loneliness and the yearning for hope and a future that these children were experiencing?
Immigration to the U.S. exploded during the 1800s. Immigrant families often had many children, but if tragedy befell the father, it left the entire family poverty-stricken. There weren’t many jobs for women, so families turned to orphanages to care for their children, or the children took to the streets.
Because of this tremendous human need, between 1854 and 1929, more than 200,000 children were sent to the Midwest and South where they would have more opportunities for a healthy family life. Today there are people living in Arkansas who are descendants of orphans who came on the trains.
SPIRITUAL ORPHANS
We too were orphans. Although our earthly parents brought us into this world (the Kingdom of Man), we were orphans in the Kingdom of God until we received Jesus Christ as our savior and became adopted sons and daughters of God. In the spiritual realm, we had a loneliness, a spiritual longing that could not be satisfied with worldly pursuits and pleasures.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Did you just hear the train whistle? It is an orphan train that has just arrived, filled with spiritual orphans with a loneliness and longing for a relationship with God. The orphans have departed from the train, and are now here, all around us. Will you help them find their way to God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ?
And now, the rest of the story.
Sooner or later we will all leave this place, heading to the Eternity Train Station (which looks like a funeral home.) Have you noticed that when you take someone to the station, they leave all their stuff behind? There are two trains departing from the station, headed in opposite directions.
The first train, the Jesus Train, glows with the aura of the Holy Spirit. You can hear hymns being sung, and a special joy expressed by people boarding the train. The ticketmaster is Jesus Himself, who offers free tickets to heaven to all who repent of their sins and receive His gift of salvation.
People who pass by this train come to the Party Train. It is for those who have had a great time on earth, indulging their fleshly desires, pursuing worldly affairs, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, and the deceitfulness of riches, unencumbered by moral restraint. It promises a great party for the entire journey into the next world, which will be even more exciting. The ticketmasters are charming men and women who work for the Father of Lies, and lure the unsuspecting onto their train. The price of the ticket is your soul.
As the trains leave the station, the people on the Jesus Train experience increasing joy and anticipation as their train winds up through beautiful landscapes that are beyond their wildest imaginations. They finally reach their destination, and as they pass through the gates of heaven, they hear a large chorus of angels rejoicing at their arrival. They are welcomed with great joy by the saints who went before them.
Meanwhile, the people on the Party Train realize they made a huge mistake. As the train heads down a long incline and picks up speed, the temperature gets hotter and hotter. They try to get off the train, but they cannot, for the doors are locked. Their destiny is sealed, their screams are drowned out by the roar of the train, and they are headed for the Lake of Fire.
So which train will you be on? And which train will your friends and family be on? We have a short window of time before it is our time to head for the station. Let us reach out to those around us and encourage them to get on the right train, for time is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
To God be the glory.
Sources include:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orphan_Train
Mark Peterson, Ph.D, is a retired educator who’s worked with people in Southeast Arkansas. His blog, LifeintheSpirit.net, provides a Biblical perspective on current events.
Editor’s note: Pastors, ministers or other writers interested in writing for this section may submit articles for consideration to shope@adgnewsroom.com. Please include your phone number and the name and location of your church or ministry. Writers should have a connection to Southeast Arkansas.