Eyes of a Child

“G.E.T. Jesus. Gratefully Embrace The Journey.”  An acronym I have learned to live by and hopefully by the time you are done reading this, it will be one you remember also. It was one of those sayings my dad would always try to instill to my brother and I growing up.  Especially when it came to road trips asking the question “are we there yet.”  (How many parents are tired of hearing that after this summer, and all the hands in the crowd go up.)  My parents would always talk to us and tell us how it isn’t always about the destination, sometimes it’s about the journey.  All we wanted as kids was to get to the mountains, the beach or camp.  My brother Travis was the impatient one and just wanted to be there yesterday.  Okay, I will admit it,  maybe that was me.  So when my dad sarcastically would say embrace the journey, I would go “yeah Dad I get it, but it still doesn’t get us there any faster.”

Now fast forward 20 years and as a dad myself I am starting to understand, especially after this past weekend.  You see it has become an annual tradition for my pops and I to take the boys to a Nascar race.  (For those of you out there making fun of me for being a Nascar fan, you can keep yapping, I can’t hear ya.). It is something we look forward to, a true highlight and memory for us, as the boys say, our “guys trip.”  So this year we went to Michigan, about a 5 hour drive or so.  Along the way we got the occasional whining and Silas asking numerous times how much longer.  After about the tenth time, my response turned into, “We are one minute closer than the last time you asked.  Finally when we got there it was like a being a kid in a candy store for our boys.  Souvenir trucks, KidsZone, meeting the drivers, the sound of the cars, staying at a hotel, and the list goes on of highlights.  

Before we went into the race my dad and I were talking as the boys ran ahead.  He looked at me and smiled, “Even if we don’t get to see the race, this was an incredible trip, thank you for bringing me; the race is just the icing on the cake.”  He was right.  What a time of memories with my 6 and 8 year old.  Ironically enough when we finally got into the race, before it even started, it started pouring.  2 hours later, after sitting under the bleachers,  the track was finally dry enough to start racing.  Then an hour later it let loose again pouring drenching rain on us.  I couldn’t help but think about my dad’s words before the race,  “even if we don’t see the race, still a great time.”  Absolutely.  

The destination, watching the race was without a doubt the icing on the cake as Eli stood against the railing, grinning ear to ear as the sound of the cars shook the whole track.  Silas wearing the headsets, listening into the driver’s radios was priceless.  As we left without getting to see the end we asked them what was there favorite part.  Eli replied with a, “Having fun with you guys” as he gave my dad and I a hug.  

I think I finally understand what my dad meant when he would teach us to gratefully embrace the journey.  All the moments from our weekend leading up to the race are as valuable to me now as the race itself was.  What if I had missed all those moments.  The swimming in the pool, the spending way to much money on souvenirs, the cold steak-umm, the counting trucks pass by.  What if I was so focused on the race itself that when it got rained out, how disappointed would I be.  I can’t help but think of all the things I would’ve missed.  

Think about life with me real quick.  How many people are living in such a way to just get to the end.  As a believer it can be easy to get caught up in what heaven will be like one day, the ultimate destination.  But don’t miss the journey.  Please I am begging you to open your eyes to how God is moving in your everyday life.  He is telling you to embrace the journey,  He is desiring to live, move, and breathe through you now, not just after your dead. You see John 10:10 is my dad’s favorite verse and in it Jesus says these words, “I have come that you may have life abundantly.”  I have to believe He is talking about this side of eternity also, not just the next. 

What is it in your life that you have been so focused on the future about that you are missing the journey?  Will you G.E.T. Jesus and embrace the journey today.  How different our world could look if we started to see God moving in our everyday instead of waiting until our day comes to see Him face to face.