Planning The Trip

There is something magical about planning a trip.  It can be as mundane as planning to go to the zoo or the art gallery down the road. For some, planning a car ride on a warm summer Sunday afternoons can lead to a wonderful visit with an elderly family member only a hundred kilometers away.

Just recently I had the wonderful opportunity to listen to our good friends share many experiences they had on trips they have planned over the years. We were even part of one of those trips where we saw whales swimming close to the ship. But that wasn’t the planning. It was what we all experience once we are where we planned to be.

It’s a process that begins with making a decision. Of deciding where to go and only ends when you set foot inside your front door on you return. Recently we did some planning. Checked for flights, made a choice, paid the price and waited for the day to arrive. Actually, we didn’t wait, we continued to plan. The exercise of asking questions like, what to take, what needs to be done before going, contact numbers, emergency planning and more and more and more. And then there is the final part of the planning, answering all the questions about coming back. Wonder if Lazarus had to do that?

Planning is also something we need to do in our spiritual life. From the very first moment we accept Christ into our lives we start planning. We ask ourselves all those planning questions that begin with, “How do I get from here to there?” You must understand God planned our trip to this earth and we are planning our return to heaven. I’ll let you in on a secret, don’t get lost or make a wrong turn. This is what I believe. My bible tells me that heaven is my home and I’m on a journey back. It’s not just how’s you planning going to get home before the dark, it’s also the bigger question, how is the return journey going so far?  Heaven is our home and we are all homeward bound.

Something to think about.

RB