Where Are You Headed

Hopped a train, headed for Ten-Buck-Two

Dreams shattered beyond the blue…

Only me, and a stranger, sat in that ole boxcar.

The old man said, “My name is Isaak.”

I lifted my head…

He asked, “Where you from, son?”

“From riches to vagabond, that’s where I’m from…

I’m headed to Ten-Buck-Two.

How ‘bout you?”

Isaak, took a slow breath and bowed his head

Then said, “I’m on my way to somewhere, I’ve already seen

Ten-Buck-Two and everywhere.

There’s only one thing I’ve got left to do,

That’s to ride this old train, alone with you.”

Chills ran up and down my spine

I looked at Isaak, he looked at me, I’d never seen eyes like his before.

I figured, this must be the end of the line

But then he smiled and spoke words I’d only ever heard

In an Old-Black-Book filled with, they say, God’s word!

Listen son, “There’s a way that seems right to a man

But the end there-of is the way of death, you’ve been running far too long…

Come on home and I don’t mean die, not just yet.

Life comes from the living one, you know who I mean, and that’s God’s only son

Now, if you let him change the ways you think, takes less that an eye-blink, and

Frankly your way of thinking stinks.”

I ran my fingers through my hair, giving him a cold dark stair

Then my body began to shake and quake

Was I dreaming, or was I awake?

The voice I’d always listened too, was spinning words

Inside my head telling me, “You’re crazy if you believe what he said…

Tell him to back off and leave you be.”

But something deeper inside of me gave me peace

I’d never felt before

I couldn’t breathe…

Tears streamed down my troubled face and right then and there, God’s amazing Grace

Flooded my heart and I screamed, “I do!

Jesus come into my heart, like Isaak said, make me brand new

I don’t want to go to Ten-Buck-Two!”

I shouted, “Hallelujah!”

As I bowed my head in surrender to the Living Son of God

I looked around, Isaak was nowhere to be found!

This was an encounter of a supernatural kind…

Turns out this ole boxcar was, the end of the line…

“Isaak, wherever you are…

Thanks for being on this ole boxcar

I’m headed for somewhere and someday, I know,

I’ll be exactly where you are!

In that forever place called, Home!

It really isn’t that far!”

~Marla Shaw O’Neill July 31, 2025

John 14:1-3 King James Version – Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

² In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.