Where is our place of ministry?

I had a pretty nice conversation with a cab driver just now. He picked me up at YWCA Fort Canning Lodge lobby, and following that, he started to chat with me. Interestingly, a lot can be learnt from a person just by listening to him.

He started off by asking me for my preferred route home and then he started talking about cars, homes and the wealthy. He said that he usually brings his wife and his parents to Genting for a holiday because it was the cheapest destination. As well, he would also travel to Thailand. Then he talked about providing for his family and how he felt that even the rich have their own set of troubles. We started discussing about life and what it meant to be happy. I told him that to me, a contented life is a happy life, and that there would always be ups and downs in life and the main thing is how one responds to a setback.

He then told me that he was very upset by what one customer said to him. The customer had asked him, "You're so young. Why do you want to be a taxi driver instead of getting a proper job?" I then said that it was not a very nice thing for the customer to say. As a taxi driver, he is earning money, working hard and supporting his family. That is a good thing, and something that nobody can take away from him.

He then told me that he was always involved in business ideas and that he had his own business, but that was difficult to sustain and so he turned to driving a taxi because he didn't have very high educational qualifications. I told him about my brother-in-law and my elder sister, and how their wooden-furniture business had to close after five years because it was no longer viable.

I then added that what was important was that both he and my brother-in-law and my elder sister had given starting an own business a try and this was commendable and brave. That he could say that he had given his best and there were lessons that he could learn through his experience.

He then laughingly said: "I used to "cheong" a lot but now I've to be more grounded and take a stable job so that I can support my family." I told him that he can say that he has at least given it a shot in his life. And that he is earning a decent income as a taxi driver and he is supporting his family - this is something to be proud of because there are many other people out there who are still refusing to accept reality and not work hard at keeping a stable job. I cited him an example of someone I know. I also said that a job doesn't define a person, and that as long as someone is working hard and earning an income, then that is all that matters. He said that yes, it's true.

Pretty soon, the journey came to an end. I paid him the cab fare and then thanked him, saying "Thank you for a very nice conversation. Take care!"

Sometimes, Christians have this mistaken notion that one must be doing something really big or significant in order to be labelled as "serving God", but for the majority of us, our service and ministry revolves around the people that we see, interact with or bump into every single day of our lives.

For this cab driver, I reckon he needed first a listening ear and secondly, some encouragement and affirmation. I did not mention God or Jesus at all, but I pray that he received some hope from me, and that could be just what he needed at this point in his life.