Life is a Journey, not a Destination

I don’t like journeys!  They tire me out, I get confused, I get lost along the way.  I just want to get there, by the quickest, easiest, most straitghforward route possible in as little time as possible!

However, I have been reflecting a little on this theme of life being a journey and not a destination.  Infact I went as far a looking for something to read on it and came across Joyce Meyer’s book, “Enjoy Your Journey – find the treasure hidden in every day’.  Where she speaks about this enjoying, taking pleasure in our journeys, not just rushing through .

Then  in church we read from Psalm 84:5-7

Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage .     As they pass through the valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs, the Autumn rains also cover it with pools.  They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.

And as I write this from my holiday in the South of Cornwall, I am watching people every day make a pilgrimage over to St Michael’s Mount.  As soon as it is low tide, there they are off with their little backpacks, off on their pilgrimage walking the way of the many before them.

A pilgrimage is not a quick journey, it is something you prepare for, and you stop along the way setting up camp, discovering new things, finding treasures in beauty and blessings around.  It is slow, deliberate, intentional, with a firm goal and destination in mind.  That destination counts for the way you travel, the people you spend your time with, the priorities you set, the places you stop, the people you help , those you influence and those who influence you.

The pilgrims in Psalm 84 had to go through this dry, hard valley, but even there they made it a place of springs, even there they found strength and joy to go on, even there they found the blessing of the Lord.  They had their hearts set on pilgrimage, on their destination and no matter what they went through the journey was worth it.

So on our journeys we may have hills to climb, rivers to cross, ravines to negotiate, valleys to go through, are we going to rush through them, get them over with as quickly as possible or stop and make springs, stop and bless and be blessed along the way?

I am on my journey to the promised land, heavenward, will you join me on it?

If you are on that way and meet me there, slow me down, make me stop and smell the Daisy’s, remind me to take each day at a time and to enjoy the moment, to live in the moment and to find joy along the way.  Remind me that life is a journey not a destination and that Jesus came to give us life, life in all its fullness, in all its abundance to be grasped, taken hold off, and enjoyed!

 

Count Your Blessings

I have been giving a lot of thought recently,  to when things are going well, when we have been blessed.  For some strange reason I find it unsettling.  We all identify with hardships, sorrows, struggles and there is much written about these things, finding faith in these things, but not a lot about what to do when things are good!

What do you do when things are going well?  Do you rejoice?  Do you take it for granted? Do you return thanks to the Lord? Do you share your good news, your happy times?

Am I unsettled because I am not used to blessing, because I don’t expect blessing?  Does that mean then that I have a view of God which is of a very austere God who grudgingly gives blessing?  If that is the case, then it is wrong.  The bible is full of examples of God being a bountiful God, One who delights to give blessings out of His abundance of good things.

Ps. 33:5 “He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD”

Malachi 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.

1 Tim 6:17 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

1 Jn 3:1  “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.”

Perhaps I have got out of the way of thanksgiving, not recognizing, acknowledging and giving thanks for the little daily blessings as well as the big blessings.  Am I too busy counting my struggles to count my blessings?  Or even, just too busy to notice?

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
 And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done

I think that there must be something in that, when you count them, recognise them, acknowledge them, when I see how many little miracles and blessings are sent my way each day, then I will see what the Lord has done in my life, and that in turn will lead me to thanksgiving.  The blessing of encouragement when someone gives me a smile or a word.  The blessing of work and home, the blessing of family, the blessing of health, the blessing of friendships, the blessing of books & of being able to read, the blessing of salvation, the blessing of knowing God.

Yes, indeed I have many blessings, too numerous to count.  It is now for me to learn the art of thanksgiving and that starts with recognising the blessings,  and then the art of returning thanks at the end of each day for those blessings, giving thanks with a grateful heart.  This surely will enrich my walk with God when I see how He has helped, enabled, sent, blessed.  It will enrich my faith, when I see what a Generous God He is and so willing to bless.  It will enrich my trust, when I know He has my best interest at heart.  It will enrich my worship when I return my thanks.  It will enrich my appreciation of God and all the good things He gives.

Recognise.

Acknowledge.

Give thanks.

Grateful heart.

Worship.