Just a couple of weeks ago I went on a road trip to Winnipeg with my parents. We stopped whenever we felt like it, we had dinner in a remodeled & restored Pulp Burner (so cool), found about 15 geocaches, soaked in the incredible Rocky Mountains and marvelled at the open expanse of the prairie.
The trip reinforced what I already knew about myself. I am all about the journey.
Just recently Tony & I were exploring the Murrayville Cemetery (yes we were geocaching!). We were looking for Paul Murray's tombstone. Paul Murray was a pioneer and a pioneer in the truest sense of the word. Planning to settle in British Columbia he travelled with his sons from New York City, through the Panama Canal and up into the thick temperate rain forests of BC. He braved an untamed wild land, lived in a giant old growth cedar and, tragically, lost a son to the mighty Fraser. When we finally found his tombstone we saw a verse from 2 Timothy inscribed on it. It said, "I have fought the good fight, I have run the race, I have kept the faith." What an amazing way to sum up this man's life.
This past month has, for the lack of a better word, sucked for us. We have dealt with anger and disappointment, worry and fear. There have been more than a few times when I've thought it would be so much easier if we were all in heaven right now... no worries, no sadness... we are all finally at our destination. But, when you've dealt with all that, it's time to be realistic and move on & it's time to make a choice. What do I do with all this? What is the road going to look like in front of me from now on? I have a choice and I choose joy.
God has given us this particular road to travel right now. It's a little scary, I don't know what's around the bend but I need to trust Him. I know that it will be exciting and new, I will learn something and have the chance to let Christ show through me. Time to start a new journey.
