Happy Traveler

While I was out running some errands particularly rainy day in February, my journey took me across the Mojave River. Usually ‘river’ is a broad statement when it comes to describing this particular tributary but that day, this normally dry stretch of sand was flowing from bank to bank with rushing waters from storm runoff. It was an amazing and unexpected sight.

I find when I travel it’s the unexpected sights or happenings that leave me with the biggest impact. I may have spent hours pouring over travel guides and looking at web pages to plan out the trip and the must see sights and sounds of my destination but its the unplanned events that I remember the most. And this is also what sets the trip apart from the preparation.

Let me explain. When I am looking forward to a trip I generally study everything I can get my hands on to get ready. I will look at maps and pictures to get my bearings. Read travel logues and stories about the area. Find out about its history. Search out places to see, find out what regional food to try and become familiar with the customs of the locale. I may even learn a few words of the language spoken there before I set out.

I love this part-- the planning out my adventure, learning the ins and outs of the location I will be visiting. To me the anticipation is at least half of the trip but unless I set out on the journey I will not have any experience to go with my knowledge of that place. I would miss out on the true sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the trip. And found among the expected I will always find the surprising and unanticipated. Little blessings placed right where I would notice. Things like an eagle flying away with his fresh catch in his talons from a harbor in Washington, the eerie sound of the evening call to prayer in Damascus, the smell of carni asada cooking on an open grill at the taco stand in Mexico, the sight of gold flakes drifting in the air at a Buddhist temple in Thailand or the taste of handmade pralines brought from a shop in New Orleans where I had stopped just to ask directions would have been missed if I had opted to stay home and just been satisfied with the knowledge of the areas I planned to visit.

Some people follow this same method in their journey through life. They have the knowledge of God. They have studied the Guide, listened to the stories of other people’s experiences and they have even received advice and instruction from the Experts but they haven’t quite ventured out to experience it for themselves. They play it safe and settle for the awareness of God but never make his acquaintance.

It’s such a shame really. In Psalms 84:5 it says,

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

The word blessed is actually more accurately translated happy and

—pilgrimage would translate any long journey, esp. one undertaken as a quest or for a dedicated purpose-

so this verse in the PSV (Patty Schell Version) would state--

Happy are those whose strength is in God, who have set their hearts on a quest to seek God. Psalm 84:5

And the really cool thing is in Jeremiah 29:13 (The Message) it says,

"When you come looking for me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed."

Now, that’s the kind of journey I want to be on. One that includes the best tour guide ever AND won’t leave me disappointed to boot. How about you? No matter the circumstances of the journey the trip will be worth it because of the personal experience you will receive when you travel with God. Knowledge never trumps experience and in order to share in the adventure you first must put your foot on the path. It’s where the miracles happen.

“And how blessed all those in whom you live,
whose lives become roads you travel;
They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,
discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!
God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and
at the last turn—Zion! God in full view!” Psalms 84:6-7 (The Message)

"God in full view." Now, that's an amazing sight!