Enjoy the Journey

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”  John 20:19-21

I love to take long drives.  With 30 of my favorite CDs in tow, I hit the road.  Most people would not share my passion for driving long distances, but it has always been a dream of mine to drive places far away and see places I had never seen and destinations I had known only on a map.  But the destination, while exciting, was only part of fun.  It was the journey to get there and the various different scenes and memories that fascinated me.

As Christians, we know where our ultimate destination is, but our goal should be to enjoy the journey our faith takes us.  Some get comfortable doing the same things, and others require certainty that God is active in our lives.  However like a long journey should be, it is never quite the same even though it might appear to be the same path, and you do not necessarily need a sign along the way telling you your destination to know where you are going.  Being saved is just the beginning, and if we stop and stay at a point prior to our destination, we will never experience lasting spiritual growth.

Our journey of faith is always changing and evolving.  The disciples in today’s verses thought their journey had ended with Jesus’ death.  In reality, it had only just begun as Jesus said to them, “I am sending you,” to spread the word of the Gospel.  When we feel the road in our journey has come to an end, we should always remember that the end of the road does not mark the end of our journey.  Just a change in direction.  Do you trust God to guide you on your journey?  What indicators can you use to ensure your journey is fruitful?  My prayer is that we take time to reflect and simply enjoy our journey of faith.  Amen.