We each have a life story, penned without ink, read by the people around us. Who's writing your story?

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Life is a Journey


This morning, I had the privilege of speaking at a Mother/Daughter Brunch at Faith Baptist Church in Peckville, PA. What a wonderful group of ladies and girls. The theme for the morning? Life is a journey. It is, isn't it? Whenever I think of a journey, I think of a road trip. We pack our map or GPS. We make sure we have snacks, water, sunglasses, phone, a credit card, some cash. We fill the tank with gas, and off we go . . .

Sometimes we enjoy our trips. This time of year we see trees and flowers in full bloom. The grass boasts its greenest green. We pass through quaint villages full of history and stories. Majestic mountains rise up in the distance. The sun warms our souls as we go along.

On our life journeys, we can also find ourselves traveling through God's blessings on every side. We find our relationships blooming. Our jobs adequately meet our needs. We're on the right road leading to a bright future. God gifts us with periods of abundance. "Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above . . ." (James 1:17).

At other times, though, we suddenly find our road trips a bit more challenging. Thunder rumbles in the distance, the wind kicks up, lightning strikes. Before we know it, we encounter a full-blown storm. Or we meet up with a detour sign, taking us miles out of the way. Or we find ourselves stalled at the side of the road with engine trouble while others zoom by. And then there's all that traffic.

Life journeys include similar "bumps in the road." Our relationships bring stormy conflicts. Much to our dismay, we find ourselves on a detour far from our intended plan. Our bodies break down or our finances go south. We face unexpected limitations. We grieve our losses. 

Jesus said, "In this world you will have tribulations and trials and distress and frustration, but be of good cheer, take courage. I have overcome the world. In me you may have peace and confidence" (John 16:33, The Amplified Bible). 

We’re headed for a glorious destination on this journey called life. 

Every year our family drives fourteen hours to a family reunion in Frankfort, Michigan. It’s long. We get tired and cranky. There are detours, traffic, all the rest. But when we finally arrive and we see the welcoming faces of those we love, and we feel the Lake Michigan breeze, see the sand and the lighthouse, I always think, "The long journey was worth it."
  
Our life journeys include both blessings and trials. We find bumps in the road every day. But someday we will finally see the welcoming face of the Lord Jesus. We can have courage on our life journeys, in our life stories, because . . .

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus….. 
Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ; 
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase, 
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.
(Esther Kerr Rusthoi, 1909 – 1962)


5 comments:

  1. Life is a journey . . . well said, Sarah. So glad for Jesus at the end of the trip.

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    1. Thank you, Jo Ann. I've been humming "It will be worth it all" all day.

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  2. You are sooooooo good with words. How true this is. Sis

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    1. Thanks, Maxine! We appreciate your hospitality every year "up north." Some wonderful memories . . . fireworks on July 4th, sand, wind, waves, and especially the good conversations here and there . . .

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  3. "God never said that the journey would be easy, but he did say that the arrival would be worthwhile." Max Lucado, In the Eye of the Storm

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