“Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.” (Luke 3:5-6 TNIV).
“Mom, he’s looking at me!”
“Mom, she’s touching me!”
“I have to go to the bathroom.”
“How far is it now?”
Family vacations are a time for making life-long memories . . . . Memories sometimes trying, other times amusing, and nearly always poignant. Our family took a trip from Wisconsin to Mount Rushmore one stiflingly hot August. After 700 miles of fighting, ornery children, an overheated radiator somewhere in the Black Hills, and a dead car alternator, the chances of our ever taking another trip in the future – with our sanity intact – were quite dim. Reflecting on that trip now only evokes laughter, joy, and good memories of a family together in love. All the harrowing details have long been forgotten. Our grown-up kids now say, “Remember that road trip?” and we all groan and smile.
Life is a road trip.
We coast along, calm, enjoying the scenery for a time, but we need to make regular stops at a “service station” to refuel. We also need “rest stops” to break up the journey. There will be the occasional steep grade where we “overheat” and have to stop and cool down before going on. And there will also be “break downs” after which we must assess the damages, make repairs, and go on.
On this journey, we have something better than a Triple A guide or even the latest GPS navigation system. God know the bumps. He knows the level stretches. He knows the “rest stops” we need to make along the way. (Proverbs 4:11; Matthew 11:28) He also knows we need to gather together in the fellowship of believers to worship and praise Him. These stops at the “service Station” refuel us for the journey.
We may decide at times to take the “scenic route” – straying from the road He has envisioned for us. Thank God that He allows us to make a “U-turn” (repentance), and that His Holy Spirit working through the Word provides us the directions we need to get back on the right path. (Psalm 119:105; Acts 3:19)
“Break downs” will occur on this journey. It is part of traveling through a sinful world. At such times, we may focus on what we lack (good health, family harmony, material possessions, financial security), instead of fixing our eyes on Jesus. What a treasure we have in the Word and Sacraments, which offer us God’s grace, forgiveness, healing, and a fresh start.
We awake each day knowing we have His blessings – His goodness and mercy – and that He travels alongside us on “the road less traveled.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)
“He’s looking at me!” (Isn’t that great? He has us in His sight at all times – on the level stretches and climbing each hill.)
“He’s touching me!” (How humbling to know that he touches us with His love every minute of every day.)
Road trip? Indeed! Life with Christ is the greatest traveling experience any one of us can have. May we always travel close to Him.
Bonnie's Bio:
Bonnie grew up in Wisconsin as a farmer’s daughter, then a farmer’s wife, and then a divorced woman, all the while writing, writing, writing – the greatest catharsis for her in dealing with all her emotions – sadness, fear, and joy. She has been nationally published twice, once in Scope, an ALCW magazine, and once in the Lutheran Women’s Quarterly, Spring 2009. She says, "Through all my efforts and my love of writing, I seek the direction of God in my life and give Him all the glory for any success I may earn".
