Since moving to Sydney to dance, I have had over an hour of bus and train time each way. I living in south east Sydney because my flat’s rent is really cheap, but my dance school is in the north, so the added time can be really exhausting and boring at the beginning at end of each day. That led me to think, surely there is some way that I can make this time productive? And sure enough, with a bit of learning and researching and thinking, I have found things that work really well for me. In the morning, I drink my coffee, pray and listen to worship music on the way, then eat my packed breakfast on the second leg of the journey. This has been really helpful, because although I love worship and Bible reading, intentional prayer is always been something that has gone to the back burner for me. That was until I was talking to a friend who is a real prayer warrior, and I realised I can help impact the people I love and the world with my prayers! Now I find that time is a great time to utilise. But the best thing to do on your commute depends so much on the length, whether you are on public transport, and just your personal preference as well! So I’ve put together some ideas to get you started. You might find you want to do the same thing every day, or just once a week, or change it up everyday, it’s entirely up to you! These things are also absolutely perfect for long plane journeys, or any journey really- they can get really tedious after a while!

Growing closer to God:

Prayer:6

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer ~Romans 12:12

Buses and trains are great places for prayer, but you may want to invest in some earplugs, like these Amazon ones, or just use AirPods that are off, like I do. I like to write down my prayers as I pray them in my journal, especially while travelling so I don’t loose focus. You can get those at bookstores, Kmart, or here’s a link to some pretty ones I like from Amazon. It also means I can look back and see answered prayers! In a week of commute time, I usually go though a list of my family, areas of my life, future husband, friends at home, friends at my ballet school, prayer requests from people and our world, but I think when it comes to prayer as long as you are talking to God it really can be whatever works for you or brings you closer to Him!

Bible reading:

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God ~Matthew 4:4

It’s so vital that we soak ourselves in the Word of God each day but is something I struggle to do every day sometimes, and travel time is perfect! I do struggle with carrying a heavy Bible in my backpack every day though, so you might want to find a small light one (Amazon) for travel. Pens and highlighters (also Amazon) are also great for when a verse jumps out at you, and for writing down thoughts and prayers. If you don’t know where to start, I would recommend Psalms, Hebrews, John, Philippians or Romans. Don’t try to read a whole lot each day of it makes you skim the words, quality is more important than quantity! If you are driving, you can also download the Bible in a year on the podcast app to listen to.

Worship music:

I love listen to worship music, and once you create a great playlist, you are all set to go! As a busy bus and train rider, I do sing in my heart rather than out loud, and you do need some decent headphones or Airpods , (Amazon)but if you are driving this is a great time to sing your heart out, as long as you keep your eyes on he road!

A bus or train is also a great place to learn new skills, so here are some great ones that are good while travelling!

A language

Imagine being able to speak a whole other language! If you have an hour out so each day, it is the perfect time to stretch your brain and learn. There are lots of great online programs and books, but like the good old Duolingo that is free and works well! You may need data for this- sometimes it works offline but sometimes it doesn’t, and I haven’t quite figured that out yet…

Knitting, crotchet or embroidery

These are all great light crafts that don’t need to be as steady as drawing or painting when you bus is bumpy. If you don’t know how YouTube is the perfect place to lean, and I have linked wool, knitting needles, crotchet hooks and embroidery thread which are all really reasonably priced from Amazon. I promise they are all simple once you get the hang of them, you just need some time, which you have on the bus! I knitted an entire blanket on public transport, and it was a great achievement!

Podcast are great ways to learn things, there are thousands, and I use the free podcast app that lets me download them free. Two I love are the living waters podcast and the Compelled podcast. The loving water podcasts dives into all sorts of topics from a biblical perspective, and there is lots of incredible insight, especially ideas on evangelism, Compelled is Christian testimonies, and they are all amazing! There is a huge range of topics out there though, and you can learn so much. You can even do this while driving, or knitting!

Books and audio books 

These are also great for relaxation and learning. Time flies by when you have a good book! You can get an Audible subscription for a very reasonable price, or some library cards in Aus and NZ are eligible for Hoopla, which is free. Some of my favourite books are:

L M Montgomery books (Anne of Green Gables series)

Francine Rivers books (Christian romance)

Chuck Black series (spiritual warfare)

Helen Moss Secrets of the Tombs or Adventure island series (teen adventure)

Caroline Lawrence Roman Mysteries (historical fiction)

Listening to music:

This can be a great way to decompress after a long day, and it can lift you mood a lot! Personally I love Toby Mac and For King and Country, but you can have a look around and make a playlist you love!

Writing:

I like to journal or write my blog posts on the way back home each day. Imagine- you could create a popular blog or website on the way home! I use BlueHost for my blogs, but there are lots out there, like Wix etc that are simple and cheap to use. Journaling is also a great way to get your thoughts out of your head learn about yourself. Or you could even write a book on the way home! Next bestseller here we come! This is probably easier on a plane or train though, buses can get bumpy!!

I hope this helps! It’s nice to think that your long commute or journey can be a blessing rather than something that is annoying every day, it just depends on how you look at it! Enjoy!

~Hannah xoxo

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