Joy In the Journey

Philippians 4:12-13, “I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens, when I have enough to eat and when I go hungry, when I have more than I need and when I do not have enough. 13 I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength.”

Do you enjoy road trips?  Maybe you’ve done some traveling over the years to other countries or across the United States.  Some of you probably have flown to many places.  I don’t care for flying and have only done it a few times, but road trips have become part of my family.  We haven’t traveled outside the United States except for Canada, but we have taken many road trips. In fact, now that our children are all adults and on their own, my hubby and I enjoy road trips a lot more and the memories we make.

     There are also many headaches that can come with road trips, from traffic, following maps, problems with the kids.  Usually on any road trip something is bound to not go as planned.  But that’s only part of a road trip.  The other part is the journey.  There is a lot of excitement looking forward to getting to your destination and quality time with family that can bring fun new experiences.  In the end we usually find we have had a happy experience.

     I have to say, I am so thankful for our smart phones and the GPS on them. I do not like being lost and it has been very helpful to both my husband and I on road trips. Back when my children were quite young, we had to follow a paper map. I was the one navigating and well, it turned out to be one of those stories we tell all these years later. It was an experience, a memory, and that was the day my husband decided I wasn’t allowed to read road maps again 😊

     Life is like a journey on a road trip.  There will be times when things are falling into place and the journey is smooth.  Then things can change and circumstances are not so good.  There will be times of plenty and times we’re scraping together pennies.

     Life will give us a journey of ups and downs.  In the past month, I have encountered many lows (as I am sure you have!), amongst some highs. A good way to look at these experiences can be described as the valleys and peaks. At one point you are on the mountaintop filled with joy and gratitude, and the next, you are wandering alone in the deep, dark valley, downcast, and discouraged.

     The highs bring joy, exhilaration, and a sense of confidence. The view from the top is immense and breathtaking: “I am King of the Hill!” At the bottom, you feel like a lowly worm: small, insignificant, with no hope of ever crawling out. Can you relate to this familiar pattern?

     Rick Warren said something that gives us all a new perspective to look at our journey in life, “I used to think that life was hills and valleys – you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don’t believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it’s kind of like two rails on a railroad track. At all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.”

     This can be a useful way to look at life because it helps me embrace both the good, and the bad, the ups and the downs, and struggles and the victories as all part of the same journey. The railroad tracks winding through the valley and climbing up towards the heights in a gentle, steady rhythm beautifully express how looking at the peaks and valleys alongside one another not only teach us about life but give us a complete and accurate picture of our relationship with God.

     Life moves forward; in it there will be pain and happiness which at most times will coexist. To get where we’re going, we have to be present for both, the good and bad, the highs and the lows. We cannot linger too long in the valley of despair, nor can we camp out on the mountaintop.

     Our verse today shows us a way to live in the journey of life we are traveling through. God wants us to embrace all of life…To be present for all of life…And to learn to be content with all of life…

     The way to do this is to walk with Jesus, the One who gives us the strength to do this while making the most of life’s journey.

     No matter the journey we are told to find joy, be satisfied with what we have.  Jesus knows our needs, He is with us daily and He is taking care of us in poor times and good times- Psalm 121:8, “The Lord will watch over your going and your coming from now to eternity”. 

     No matter where you are in your journey you can find strength to press on because Jesus gives you the strength. He loves you with unending love, and He will always rejoice over you in all times in life.

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