Run for the Bus

Amanda Woodiel recalls an incident that happened 25 years ago that shaped her life and later became a family motto.

The kid who ran for the bus 

When I was a freshman at the University of Virginia (some 25 years ago!), I exited the main library with my arms full of books. I stood at the top of a large flight of stone stairs and looked across the green. In dismay, I saw that the bus I needed was already at the stop. I knew there was no way I could ever cover that kind of ground and catch that bus. I sighed. That meant either walk to my dorm, which was 20 minutes away when not weighed down by reams of paper, or go to the bus stop and wait 40 minutes for the next bus.  

While I stood there pondering whether to turn right (to start walking) or to turn left (to go to the bus stop), a student exiting the building to my right took off running to catch the bus. He carried a large instrument case. His heavy backpack thumped along behind him as he strained forward. Perched up high, I laughed derisively to myself. There’s no way you are going to catch that bus, I thought. You look foolish.  

But lo and behold, that anonymous kid did catch the bus, and I was left standing there feeling foolish. I had plenty of time to contemplate the incident on the long walk to my dorm. I never met him again, but that kid taught me something important that day that I have carried with me ever since: Run for the bus. 

Run for the bus: a motto to live by 

This has become a kind of family motto. When a child isn’t sure she’ll make the play, we tell her, “Run for the bus, baby.” When someone offered to buy our house, and I wasn’t sure if we could find another house in our price range that would suit us, I started packing up boxes, handed my older kids empty ones, and told them, “We’re running for the bus, kids.” When I felt like the decision that made the most sense given my talents and interests was to apply to graduate school to get a master’s degree in theology at the age of 46, I did, under the banner of “I’m running for the bus!” 

When you don’t catch the bus 

Sometimes, of course, you put yourself out there and you end up missing the bus. That’s okay. I firmly believe two things: first, on the natural plane, we will most regret not trying something more than we will regret trying and failing (provided that the action under discussion is a moral one). Second, on the supernatural plane, I believe that in God’s economy, grace is poured out when we are obedient, not when we are successful.   

He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.” (Philippians 2:8-9) 

“Because of this, God greatly exalted him” — because of what? Because He—Jesus—humbled Himself becoming obedient to death. The passage doesn’t say “because he ended up being victorious,” although that does end up being true. It says that grace is poured out because Jesus was obedient. 

We are called to obedience, not to success 

This means that we are called to obedience, not to worldly success. If you feel like God is asking you to start a moms’ group at your parish and only one woman shows up, let me tell you, sister ... grace is poured out! If you feel like you should invite your in-laws over to dinner and it’s awkward ... grace is poured out! If you wake up and resolve yet again to speak with gentleness though yesterday didn’t go very well ... grace is poured out! 

Dear moms, let’s run for the bus! Let’s be willing to humble ourselves (that is, to risk looking foolish). Let’s be willing to give our best effort to whatever God is calling us.  

After all, whether we catch the bus or not, there will be grace. 

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Copyright 2025 Amanda Woodiel
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