Hills and Valleys
Who else loves road trips? I mean really loves a good, adventurous vacation? I do!
Honestly, it really doesn’t matter to me if I’m headed to a place just two hours from home or setting off on an adventure for ten hours or more, just the thought of getting in a loaded down vehicle with those I love most makes me smile! It gets me excited just thinking about the adventures that await us as we gear up and head out.
Will we possibly try a new route? Maybe we will miss our exit and discover something new! I know that probably drives some of you crazy, but I love the sense of adventure it brings. Or maybe we’ll be taking the same route as we have many times before and the trip will be a chance to relax as we head to our destination. This time, I might even stop at a new cafe or, my personal favorite, discover a new coffee shop that turns out to be incredible! (I discovered the most delicious cinnamon hazelnut latte you’ll ever have the pleasure of tasting in Beaufort, South Carolina once...but that’s a story for another time.)
Whether it’s my annual trip up to the Smoky Mountains or just a few days right on the beach a little closer to home, I’m all about the journey. You see, it’s the actual process that gets me to my destination that I love. Don’t get me wrong, we need to get to our destination - without it, we will lose our focus! But, I think more often life is about the journey.
“Life is a journey, not a destination.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
While our destination is important and the goal of where we are headed, we should remember that joy is found in the journey...breathe in the journey!
You’ve probably read all the bumper stickers and heard all the quotes...but still it remains true - life itself is a journey. It will be full of encounters, twists and unexpected turns in the road. We’ll face hills and valleys and we may even trip and fall along the way. After all, rarely is this journey called life “easy.” At some points, we may even find our faith challenged. In times like this, there is a verse I’ve often turned to in 1 Peter in The Message translation:
Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.
1 Peter 1:18-21 MSG
There is a destination in front of us that is beyond our imagination, that is truly indescribable! But until then, I choose to enjoy this life journey with God. I’ll travel along wherever He leads me, overshadowed by His presence, following his lead, knowing it’s never perfect by any means, but that He establishes my steps. I think back on life and I like to think this path I’ve walked with Him for so many years, this journey I’ve been on, has reaped a bit of a harvest along the way. I’m grateful for all He has led me through and what He will lead me to!
I think of all the sweet memories I’ve made while on journeys: Maybe we were being silly singing along with whatever is playing on the “Oldies'' station or eating way too many snacks in the car. I think back on the time we were at a rest stop and I met someone new and started chatting about where they were headed as I found out that we have common interests and created an unlikely friendship. (I’m laughing even now as I think about the look on my sister’s face! She is truly embarrassed that I will stop and chat with just about anyone.) I love thinking back on all the wonderful friends and family members that have joined me on so many adventures! Oh what crazy and wonderful times I’ve had.
When we recognize that our lives are not just a literal journey, but a spiritual one we all must go on, we can see the places God has given us to have influence. When we sow seed into the lives we have influence over on this journey, including those we love and those that we come across along the way, we have an opportunity to share the gospel. In your journey, don’t forget the destination and remember at every stop to be a light that reflects the good and loving Father who set you on your path. And if you think your journey is over, find hope in knowing that the Father can do abundantly more than anything we could ask, think or imagine! Perhaps He’s not finished with you and your journey has only just begun.
Recommended listening: “Hills and Valleys” by Tauren Wells