The Journey

I have a vague recollection of people during the early 1980s wearing buttons emboldened with the words, "I FOUND IT!" Whether it was a conversation starter for evangelization or a promotional item for a pyramid scheme is still unclear. It would have served either purpose quite ably in the Reagan years. Today—not so much. The most significant development in my spirituality has been the recognition over time that life is a journey rather than a destination in which I have arrived.

At the end of a busy and stressful week, my wife's car broke down on her long commute home from work tonight. There was nothing more that she wanted to do than to continue to her destination without hindrance, but found herself waylaid by the roadside. All she could do was wait.

I feel similarly stuck in many aspects. Our family had every indication that we were going to receive some long-awaited good news on Monday, but it never materialized. A family member is going through a serious personal crisis that is not easily resolved. The flu that I thought I was over and done with earlier in the week came back stronger than ever today.

The Israelites were guided throughout their passage by God who appeared as a "Cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night" (Nehemiah 9:12 NIV). What I would give for that kind of moment by moment guidance right now. Yet it is the same God that beckons me forth on my journey—even if I'm not sure of the precise direction at the moment.