The Gift of The Journey

I was caught off guard recently by a question that a close friend asked me: Are you a journey person or a destination person? Do you focus on the destination or do you live for the journey?

Me? Destination person. 

My husband Allen is (very obviously) a journeyman.

I, however, am totally not.

Not even a little.

I’m so much a destination person it’s painful.

I find the destination in every (EV.ER.Y) situation. “Well once I do this, then I can do that, and then it will be over and done with.” 

Or “Once the kids all are in school, I can do this or that." 

Or "Once we get this paid off, we can afford that." 

Or even the little things like "Once I grab the bread, I can then get the grapes, then the porkchops, and be out of there." 

Or "After I do these two things next week and then finish that then, then I’ll be golden.” (Newsflash: I’m never golden. It’s always the next steps to a destination I can never seem to reach.) 

My everyday mundane evening is a destination: get to bedtime (dishes, jammies on the kids, brush 50+ teeth, read books, tidy the living room, say prayers, get fourteen cups of water just to get to the “me time” where I can take a bath alone, chew my two melatonin and collagen gummies and fall asleep watching a PBS documentary in peace.)

It’s exhausting how much of a destination person I am. Like I’m exhausted telling you about how often I think about the destinations.

I so badly want to be a journey person. 

Though I think some positives come from destination people (an “eye on the prize and will do anything to get there” type person is not a bad one to have around), I think journey people get the whole point of this thing called life. 

I love to think about the moment I meet Jesus. Just that side of this side... before the gates of Heaven are even in view... 

I love to think about how excited He will be to have me home again. 

But I think Him and I will have to talk first. 

And I like to think that the hard talk (the LITERAL "Come to Jesus" talk) will be first. 

When you lied to your grandma, when you called that girl in middle school fat, when you cheated in college, when you cursed the Lord's name for days after wrecking your car, maybe more major things, maybe some minor. 

But Him and you will have this talk and it won't be fun. It might be long for some people. Others, maybe rather short.

But it's after that talk where the good part comes in, and I believe you then get to watch your journey. 

Were you paying bills disgusted?

Were you rushing around Kroger?

Were you waiting in line annoyed?

Were you packing lunches and yelling about socks and wadding up diapers like a crazy person?

Or....

Were you teaching your kids about budgeting or applicable math?

Were you waving to a old friend at Kroger?

Were you making small talk while waiting in line?

Were you singing a goofy song while you spread mayo on the sandwich?

Were you dancing with your husband in the laundry room with just a t-shirt and underwear?

Were you blowing zurburts on a newly clean baby's belly?

And as you watch the journey while standing at THEE final destination, I hope you realize that it wasn't for nothing. I hope you don't watch your personal highlight reel and see someone rushing and running and annoyed. 

I hope you enjoyed it. Even the harder moments - I hope you found some ray of sunshine in it.

I hope that you can watch yourself and see yourself as enjoying the journey. And I hope that your highlight reel is much much longer than your first talk with The Big Man. 

Wouldn’t it be something to feel and see and be a journeyman?

To live absolutely in the moment? To not think about the next 27 steps? Or not to even think about the next step?

To relish in the moment? To be so present in that one thing that nothing matters?

To fully understand and internalize that tomorrow is never ever promised? 

To really stop and think that the graveyard before you is what Tim McGraw said: “full of folks that didn’t have time to die.” Let that soak that in. Those people were rushing around, making the next steps, crossing things off the to do list too fast too.

It’s just today, beautiful people. 

It’s only right now. That’s the promise. This… THIS RIGHT HERE! 

This is the gift.

So what if the dishes sit in the sink over night? 

So what if the line is 10 minute wait?

So what...?

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite lines from an amazing and quick read, Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist

“I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don't want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift.”

Enjoy this gift called life. 

Enjoy your work and your calling and your journey here and now so that the true destination - in the arms of our Lord and Savior - is only that much more fulfilling. 

I think that He will only love watching that highlight reel with you even more if you enjoyed the gift He lovingly gave you.

Much love always,

Samantha