I fell in love with the idea of road trips back in the summer of 1989, way before a Tom Tom, GPS, or Siri could tell you where to go. I was 12, and my family took a month-long road trip from California to Washington, D.C. Along the way we passed through 20 different states, logged almost 130 hours in the car, and traveled thousands of miles. It was the adventure of a lifetime that I won't soon forget. I never once worried about where we were going or how we'd get there. I didn't need to, because my Dad knew exactly where we were headed. He had his massive Atlas, a great sense of direction, and a thirst for adventure, so we were set. No need to worry, Dad was in complete control. I'm sure my brothers and I drove my parents crazy after the 87th time we asked, "Are we there yet?", or as my brother Jeremy used to say when he was just a toddler, "how 'bout many more miles?!?" But we just kept going, playing hours of Uno, reading books, sleeping across the van seats, and learning to hold it until the next available rest stop. Just enjoying the epic adventure of the ride...
Years later my husband and I took a similar adventure for four straight summers, driving from Houston, TX to Watsonville, CA. We lovingly tossed our three kids into the back seats of the van, armed ourselves with Scott Maham's salsa (for us) and plenty of Goldfish and sippy cups (for the offspring), and we took off. We drove 30 hours to CA, and only stopped for food and gas. Hotels? No way! We were on the ride of our lives, and we were going to experience the whole thing together on the road! By then, some genius had invented a DVD player for the van, so we were really set.
So it is when we choose to follow Jesus in this fast adventure we call life. If you think of life like it's a highway, then I'm definitely the clueless kid in the back seat asking, "are we there yet?", and Jesus not only has the massive Atlas with Him at the wheel, He wrote it! My job is to jump in, hold on tight, enjoy the ride, and trust in Him to get me where I'm going. Life seems to throw plenty of twists and turns at us, especially when we expect the road to be straight, easy, and containing no dead-end signs or unnecessary traffic. But that's where trust comes in. Easier said than done, but someday, when we see the miles of life behind us, we realize He has NEVER left our side. 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus. Amen.
Follow You
Let's jump in! Hold on tight, let's hit the road!
There's no tellin' what we'll see or where we'll go
We're on this journey, this fast adventure we call life
and there's no hurry, cuz I've made up my mind...
I could drive all day and all through the night
'cuz I know You're by my side
Every twist and turn, I will listen and learn to follow You
Are we there yet? Where are we going? What's up ahead?
So many questions on my mind.
I see behind me all the miles and miles of life
and You remind me, You have never left my side
So why do I worry, when You have got the wheel?
Why be afraid, and trust in what I feel?
I'm on the ride of my life, I won't always get it right
I'm on the ride of my life, and You know when I'll arrive...