When I was a kid, I was not a fan of road trips. Being the youngest of five, I was always forced to sit in the far back of our 1986 Chevrolet Caprice 'Woody' station wagon. And if you’ve never seen the ‘Woody’ station wagon, well, here’s what she looked like… WOODY STATION WAGON.
Riding in the far back always meant you felt car sick, endured every bump in the road, and could not hear anything that was happening up front. In thinking back to some super long road trips that my family took often spanning thousands of miles (Chicago to California), I MISSED the journey because all I cared about was the destination.
I’m pretty sure I never apologized to my parents for this, but the crying and complaining coupled with my favorite question… “How much longer until we get there?” – well, it was a lot… sorry about that mom and dad!
When we focus exclusively on the destination, you miss a lot of things along the way. I’m told that driving from Chicago to California there are a lot of beautiful things to see along the way… but, truth be told, I can’t recall any beauty because I only cared about getting there.
Wednesday, January 21st (Day #21) is not our destination. The aim of these 21 Days of Prayer is not getting to Day #21 and then moving on to the next thing… whatever that might be.
Please hear this…
THE DESTINATION ALWAYS HAS BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE GOD.
Wait, I thought heaven was the destination… a mansion in the sky?
Nope… to say it again…
THE DESTINATION ALWAYS HAS BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE GOD.
God created us.
God redeemed us.
And one day, God will make His dwelling amongst us.
The beauty of prayer is that while on the journey towards being in the presence of God one day forever, we get to experience His presence TODAY. And regardless of the twists and turns that we’ll all have to endure along the way, His presence, practiced through prayer, helps us to enjoy the journey no matter how bumpy the road gets.
As you begin Day #19, take a moment to give thanks to God for being present in the journey for I am convinced that God has much for you and me to see even if you find yourself stuck in the back of a station wagon.
I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.”
Revelation 21:3
