The Next Leg

More of our earthly life is about the journey.  We make brief stops along the way at "destinations" but, once we feel a sense of arrival....we have to start planning the next leg of our journey.  Have you ever thought of that?  I think about it a lot during holidays and trying to plan out stops, what to pack, what to bake, the timing of it all, and will it all still fit into a mini-van with enough space for Mini Kooper....good thing we don't have a big dog :)

Anyway....I think, though it is a hassle to plan all our journeys in life....the effort serves as a great reminder that we are not home yet.  This whole life is OUR JOURNEY HOME.  There really is only one DESTINATION....where we will know we have ARRIVED and no longer need to plan for another part of the journey....and I guess you could even see that as the ULTIMATE DESTINATION WEDDING, right? :)

It thrills me to have loving friends and family.....enough food so that I have to think about how to make wise food choices...money to spend during Black Friday chaos or the Cyber Monday comfort of my own home (isn't it crazy that we have money or credit enough to make up crazy days to spend it?)...a warm home for my family to return to, big enough that I feel overwhelmed when it is time to clean it :) But, when we make a pit-stop in our journey to love on familiar people for a few days and celebrate our blessings....we should not shut the doors on the needs outside of our familiar.  We are not home yet....neither are they.  The focus on our blessings for that time should be a catalyst propelling us to give because we have now TAKEN INVENTORY of where we have ABUNDANCE in our lives.

That is part of this journey.  We all await HEAVEN....we lack the understanding of what this means as a final destination, but it is not temporary like anything we have ever known.  All the pain, emptiness, injustice, bitterness, sorrow, or disappointment we experience or witness on earth......WILL BE NO MORE.  We have such a great responsibility and privilege to use what God has given us to strengthen others on the journey.