Too Long A Journey?

When you take a long journey are you grateful to be back home? I sure am. My wife and I sometimes go someplace where there's lots of traffic and people. I think that's where the phrase, "It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there" comes from.

That's why my wife and I like "slower" places to visit. More relaxing places that contain fond memories for us. Mackinac Island comes to mind as one such destination. The family farm is another. Still, as wonderful as those places are, there's no place like home.

Reading the Bible can be like that. I just finished reading the Old Testament. Some of the books can be a little . . . well, reading the Old Testament sometimes reminds me of how the Israelites wandered through the dessert for 40 years before entering the promised land. It's a long journey! LOL!

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy reading the Old Testament, but I enjoy reading the New Testament more. Why? It's got Jesus in it!! Yes, I know that the Old Testament has Jesus in it too but Jesus is everywhere in the New Testament! You don't have to dig or think. He's right there!

But there is another journey that ALL of us take - the journey of life. For some the journey is a long one. For others, well, they never really get started. But each of us has a journey to take in this life. And it's what we do along the way that defines who we are.

When we take a long journey we hope it will be a successful one. The same can be said about our journey with Jesus. We want to know Him more. We want to become more like Him. So how do we do that? Ask Him. He knows all the answers.

No journey is too long when Jesus is at the end of it. :)

^"5 So they said to him, “Please inquire of God, that we may know whether the journey on which we go will be prosperous.” ⁶ And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. The presence of the Lord be with you on your way.” - Judges 18:5-6

^"7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.:" - 2 Corinthians 5:7

Too Long A Journey - Starland Vocal Band
Walk By Faith - Jeremy Camp

The Journey

It's early Monday morning and in a few hours my wife and I and our daughter and her husband will be setting out on the long journey home from Michigan and our family reunion. It takes a long time to travel the 468 miles but it is always worth it.

You and I are travelers through life as well. What has your journey been like?Has it been smooth sailing along life's highway? Or have you encountered some road construction, detours or pot holes along the way?

And what about your traveling companions. Do you have some good ones riding in the car with you through this life? I have been blessed with some amazing ones. I have a best friend at work, for example, who makes that part of my journey so much easier. It's always a good thing when the people in your life make the journey seem shorter than it really is.

I have been blessed with an amazing family. We always make each other laugh with our stories, lame jokes and in-car games. It is a good thing having traveling companions.

As YOU travel through this life, who are YOUR travel companions? Maybe it's a best friend. Maybe it's a group of friends. Sometimes though, we have to travel by ourselves. Whatever the situation is, I have found it is always a good idea to have someone in the car with you.

This is the point in my story where I am going to write about Jesus. He is MY favorite travel companion. There is no storm we can't get through together. No road block, no detour, no traffic jam. He is always with me.

Jesus is an amazing travel companion and He's more than just a "spare tire" that sits in my trunk until I need Him. Jesus is my co-pilot. And even though He is also my navigator as I drive, I have found it's better when I let Him take over for a while behind the wheel.

Is Jesus in YOUR car? He should be. He make life's journey so much better. The pot holes and detours might still be there but He knows the best way around them and the best roads to travel on. PLUS, He's a great mechanic and your "car" will run forever! So this morning I find myself thanking Him and the rest of my travel companions for riding with me these past 10 1/2 years. Always by my side.

Whether I am driving somewhere with my family or walking with my best friend at work, I am grateful for the company God has given me. No matter how difficult life's journey becomes, it's always easier with someone by your side.

If you don't have someone to share life's journey with, give me a call. I'll walk with you for a while. But the smartest thing you could do would be to ask Jesus to travel with you. Walk with him the rest of your life and you will enjoy an amazing journey.

Jesus Take The Wheel - Carrie Underwood