The Journey, not simply the Destination

I have heard many times that life is more about the journey than the destination.  I am a task oriented person, and so often I simply want to skip to the destination - whether that was finishing college, no longer being a first year teacher, simply getting a project finished, or making a decision.

Recently I have been learning this truth in a new way.  God is not only interested in the result, but also how I get there.  What is my attitude in this situation?  How do I respond to a challenge I am facing?  What is God teaching me through this time?  God's timing is perfect, and as much as I might want to skip to the destination, looking back through different situations in my life I can see how important the journey truly is.

When considering a fairly major decision a few weeks ago, I wanted to know the answer, but I also knew that I wasn't ready for the decision to be made.  I thought I might freak out with either option settled as the final decision, especially because it eliminated the other option.  I kept going back to some advice given to me by Dave and Bev Berg in the front of the book they gave me for high school graduation.  "Seek God's face more than his hand."  I need to seek God to know him, not simply to know his will in a particular situation.

In the past couple of weeks I have experienced the truth of this in a way I never had before.  It is not something I can easily explain, but when you are seeking to know God more you can find him far more easily in so many places.  I still struggle with wanting to see results from him, but I am continually working to seek him and know him in each situation I face.

Springtime in BC

Spring weather in BC allows for a variety of activities.  On Wednesday evening I stood in snow beside the road as we drove to our hotel on Vancouver Island.  Our elevation was only about 700ft above sea level, and we were south of the 49th parallel.

Standing in snow beside the road

On Thursday afternoon, I watched people surfing on the beach and I stood in the ocean water.  The water was cold enough that my feet were quickly getting numb, and the people surfing were wearing wet suits that covered their entire body except for their faces.

Standing in the cold Pacific Ocean

As we were waiting for the ferry on Thursday evening we met people who were returning to Vancouver Island from the mainland with their skis.  Dad commented that only in BC would we watch people surfing while others were spending the day snow skiing just across the Georgia Strait.

Table Runner

Last Saturday I attended the WCA Mission Banquet.  It served as a combination of celebration and fund-raising.  The mission team shared their experience, growth, and work from their recent trip to Chiapas, Mexico.  The funds raised went towards the mission trip for next year.

In addition to a delicious meal, there were presentations by mission team members, and a silent auction. The silent auction had a number of items that the mission team brought back with them from Mexico.  The table runners on the tables were also part of the auction.  I bought one of the table runner that came from Mexico.  I love the bright colors.  Although it not quite wide enough to cover my entire table (which happens to be fairly small), it easily covers my whole coffee table.  Right now I have it folded and set out on my coffee table.

Song

As I sat this evening thinking about the future and reflecting on God's blessings, this song came to mind.  I especially like the line 'taking simple steps of obedience'.  So often I want an answer to big questions or situations and forget to simply obey and follow God in the moment he has given me right now.  As I obey and follow God now, he will lead me for the next moment.  This is another aspect of asking God for our daily bread.  If I knew the answers to all my life questions or situations, I think I would be overwhelmed.  So, this song is my prayer: not only that God would lead me, but that I would take the simple steps of obedience in the moment God has entrusted to me right now.

Lead Us Lord

1. Chorus 1

   Lead us Lord
   Into a life of fruitfulness
   Prepare our hearts to risk again
   And as we trust
   Taking simple steps of obedience we know
   That You will lead us Lord

2. Verse 1

   Here we stand
   At a crossroads again
   Like You said
   In time the seasons change
   Looking back
   We recall the blessing and the pain
   But now we turn our hearts toward
   What is still to come
   We want to dream again

3. Misc 1

   (ENDING)
   Come and lead us Lord
   Come and lead us Lord
   Come and lead us Lord
   You will lead us Lord
   
   
   Brian Doerksen© 2004 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

Everyday Beauty

There is beauty all around in God's creation, I simply need to stop and take the time to enjoy it.  This brings to mind Psalm 8 and the beginning verses of Psalm 19.

My porch view of the sun going down on Tuesday evening when I came home.

Silence

From the time I left Opelousas to the time I arrived in Dallas on my trip during Winter Break, I turned off my radio.  For the first few minutes of my trip I had felt overwhelmed by the noise, so I simply shut it off.  I ended up driving my entire trip that way.  It revealed to me that I had not taken time to stop and be quiet in far to long.

More recently I have decided to turn off my background music for a time.  It is interesting how deafening silence can be.  Yesterday, I actually found it distracting to have it so quiet while I tried to work.  Sometimes the background music can be helpful - maybe it requires more concentrated effort to focus and work effectively so I am not as easily distracted.  Other times it can be distracting.  I know that our society tends to be inundated with noise, it is interesting to shut some of it off.

As a result of not listening to music, I have noticed that I more frequently have songs in my head.  They are not necessarily songs I would have been listening to, but may be related to the specific situation.  Turning off the background music has been somewhat of a challenge and an adjustment, but I am enjoying it.

Sermon Reflections

After walking out of church last week I commented to a friend that I could hear our sermon from church every week for the entire year and still need to listen again to apply what I learned.  It was an excellent sermon on Philippians 2:1-5.  It was convicting to the point of being overwhelming, and overwhelming to the point of almost making me want to give up before I tried to apply it because I know that I will fail at it.

Despite that fact, I did read my notes twice during the week and thought about the sermon more times.  I was especially struck by the part about vain conceit.  Some of how it was presented made me realize how prevalent this issue is in my own life.  It was definitely an issue I was more aware of in myself throughout the week.

Every now and again I get overwhelmed by the amount of teaching I receive - from the Bible, sermons, books, and from people with far more wisdom than I have.  Sometimes I simply want to think about and apply one thing that I learned, but I get distracted from applying it consistently by hearing something else that I need to change.  I think that Satan likes to use this feeling of being overwhelmed to stop me from actually focusing on one area and growing within it.  Although the teaching is very good, the volume I receive at times makes me want to give up before I start because the list is never-ending.  I guess that is what sanctification is about - continually changing and growing to become more like Jesus.  I will need to remember that next time I feel like it is a lost cause.