I remember as a kid taking road trips from Nashville to Chattanooga to visit my mom’s sister and my cousins—or from Nashville to Cottage Grove, Tenn., to see my other relatives. There were no interstates then; you had to take the state highways.
It seemed like it took forever to get where we were going. By the time we got to the outskirts of town, I was already asking, “Are we there yet?”
More than half a century later, this same dynamic continues to play itself out in my everyday life.
As president of the Women of the ELCA executive board, I often find myself so concerned about the destination, I miss the excitement of the journey. I am so concerned about whether I will be good enough or presidential enough that I forget that God is always in control. I am still that little kid trying to hurry the trip.
[bctt tweet=”When I stop thinking about the destination, I see the face of Jesus in so many ways.”]
When I stop thinking about the destination, I see the face of Jesus in so many ways. When I go to conventions, I see Jesus in the faces of women all across the room. I see his face in the faces of children in Tanzania. I see his presence in the quilters’ hands. I feel his presence in the prayers that are lifted up in the most unlikely of places like Facebook.
This is the journey. This is the beauty of the abundant life. We are surrounded by the love of a most gracious God all along the way.
[bctt tweet=”This is the journey. This is the beauty of the abundant life. “]
Almost 2,000 years ago, the church was waiting for the return of Jesus. They fully expected his return any day; it was their “Are we there yet?” moment. Today, the day after Easter, we find ourselves in this same place.
Certainly, there are positive points to living in great expectancy of Jesus’ return, but the journey is the gift of Easter. Today we are free to stop worrying about the destination.
Take a moment to enjoy the trip. Hold a baby in your arms; watch the butterflies in your garden moving from plant to plant; listen to a child’s night time prayers; or watch the sun go down while holding hands with someone you love.
We are not there yet, but we can watch God at work every day in and through our lives.
Patti Austin is president of the Women of the ELCA executive board.
++++++++
Road by Connor Hickey (BY-NC-ND)
reply
retweet
favorite