A Journey, Not a Destination

9

Recently I reflected on the events of the last seventeen months and what God has been teaching us since we moved from Chicago to a cabin in the woods north of Tupelo, Mississippi. One thing is for sure. I’m no prophet. Before we moved, I told our friends that we would be moving to Mississippi for "four or five months," and after that I had no idea where we would be. Here we are a year and a half later and life has changed all around us–and we are still in the cabin in the woods. If you drive down the country road that leads to the turnoff for the cabin, you won’t see a mailbox. We decided to have our mail sent to my brother’s home in Tupelo because we "knew" we wouldn’t be in Tupelo very long. Ditto for not signing up for satellite Internet (which my friends says isn’t so great anyway), which is why I’m on dial-up at the cabin. Ditto for a few other things because we "knew" we weren’t going to be in Tupelo very long. Along the way, we have come to appreciate this area and the many friends we have made.So what have we learned throughout these months of continual change? Two things come to my mind very clearly. First, the will of God is not a destination, it’s a journey. I always believed that, but now I know it in a very deep way. It’s always easy (and dangerous) to play the "if only" game:If only I get married, I’ll be happy.
If only I get a new job, I’ll be happy.
If only I graduate from college, I’ll be happy.
If only we have children, I’ll be happy.
If only we can retire to Florida, we’ll be happy.
If only I make more money, I’ll be happy.
If only I win this case, I’ll be happy.
If only we move to a new home, I’ll be happy.
If only I climb this one last mountain, I’ll be happy.But life generally doesn’t work that way. Several months ago I watched Mel Gibson on one of the late-night talk shows discussing his recent rehab stint for alcohol addiction. He made a profound observation about the importance of living one day at a time. "You can’t live in the future," he said. "That’s a bad place to live."There is a certain rootlessness about our life at this point that is instructive. Now that our boys are in their twenties, they are going in all directions at once. Because of the China connection, we have one son in China who is coming home to get married this summer, another son and his wife about to go there, and a third son who is contemplating going to China. It worked out that last year our family was together for a total of three days–at Josh’s wedding. So far it looks like we will all be together this year for just one day–at Mark’s wedding in late July. It has hit me that home is a matter of the heart, a moving target, not so much a place as being with the people you love most. Wherever they are–in the U.S. or in China or anywhere else–is home in the truest sense.The second thing I’ve learned came to me a few weeks ago when a young man asked, "If you had one piece of advice to give to someone entering the ministry, what would it be?" Questions like that can be difficult because you don’t know what the person wants to hear. My policy is to say whatever pops into my head first. And so I did."Get to know the character of God."I mentioned an old hymn that I’ve never actually sung called Workman of God, Do Not Lose Heart. The opening line goes like this: "Workman of God! O lose not heart, but learn what God is like." Nothing will sustain the servants of the Lord in hard times like knowing God’s character. And as the hymn (and life itself) makes clear, you don’t "learn what God is like" by going to seminary and memorizing the attributes of God. You learn what God is like in the darkness of the night, when you feel overwhelmed and burdened and full of fear and uncertainty. Ironically you learn that when you feel most alone, God is nearest to you. So study the character of God.Learn his holiness.
Exult in his mercy.
Ponder his patience.
Consider his ways.
Meditate on his goodness.
Remind yourself of his justice.
Rest on his faithfulness.
Linger at the foot of the cross.
Memorize his promises.
Pray the psalms back to him.
Testify to his kindness.
Declare his glory.
Defend his honor.
Be silent before his judgments.Get to know the Lord. Nothing matters more than this. You might even say that the whole purpose of our earthly journey is for us to get to know what God is like.As I ponder our own personal future, I see some things clearly while other things are a mystery to me. Then I remember what Job said. "He knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold" (Job 23:10).He knows the way that I take even when I don’t.
He knows the way that I take even when I can’t see clearly.
He knows the way that I take even when I get lost.Looking back, we find it easy to count our blessings and to see the hand of the Lord moving on our behalf. So much has happened that we did not expect, but as they say on the street, "It’s all good."Walking with Jesus is a journey whose destination lies somewhere beyond the horizon. Even when we think we’ve arrived, we haven’t. Even when we think, "Aha! I’ve made it at last," life suddenly changes and we take a sharp bend in the road. But the journey itself ought to be enjoyed.
And we should use it to learn what God is like.No one ever fully "arrives" in this life. We all press forward, forgetting those things that are behind and pressing on to the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Even Paul said, "I have not yet attained" (cf. Philippians 3:12-13). Our God is infinitely creative in the ways he deals with his children. Let this be our motto as we journey onward: Expect the unexpected.Life with God is a journey, not a destination. That’s the lesson of the last seventeen months.

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March 9, 2007, 5:07 PM Helen says:
	Pastor Ray, thanks for the personal/family update and comments about what really matters. When Jesus said we’re to be like children I think one of the things he meant was, live in the moment rather than the past or the future. The longer I live the more I think: life is truly an amazing gift and I don’t want to waste any of it.
March 10, 2007, 12:54 AM Michael Fields says:
	�“the will of God is not a destination, it’s a journey”. This is a principle that most Christians would acknowledge to be true, but it is certainly a struggle to implement in everyday life. While it is natural to look into the future and see certain “ends”, God’s lessons are learned through the “means”. The end results of graduating from college, making money, marrying, retiring (etc�) pale in comparison to the lessons God teaches us in the process. This process learning creates character, develops deep principles, and increases our dependency on God. Once you are able to see God’s will as a journey, successes and failures that are based on artificial criteria become of less importance. Whenever I feel that something has been a waste of time simply based off its outcome, I remember that God doesn’t put us through any situations for no reason at all. Process learning helps us see things one day at a time, one task at a time, and one decision at a time. Pastor Ray, thanks for reminding us to rejoice in this journey.
March 10, 2007, 11:26 AM Heather says:
	Sometimes I think God directs us to places at a moment of need. I REALLY needed to read this today. This past week I have been going through the mill and reached that point where I had a choice to go back to the old way, or choose to trust the Character of God and move forward. I chose God, to trust Him. But it has not been easy at times. Thanks for sharing this. Heather
March 10, 2007, 10:49 PM Sam Shaw says:
	Hi Ray, I once had lunch with Bill Bright. Over lunch, he asked me, “Sam, do you know the most important thing a new believer needs to learn?” I thought back through my Nav training, my seminary education, my experiences in Evangelism Explosion. I replied, “assurance of salvation?” I hope I never forget Dr. Bright’s answer, “the most important thing a new believer needs to learn - the attributes of God.” Your comments about learning the character of God reminded me of Bill’s statement! I’ll be in touch.
March 12, 2007, 11:43 AM Steve Pedersen says:
	Ray, When I began the journey of pastoral ministry in 1980 I never imagined where I would be today. The landscape God chose for me and the terrain of the Spirit were surprising and like the title of your book, “Incredible.” When faced with the deep and sometimes dark gorges of challenges I always was forced back to the solid supporting cables of “The Call To Church Ministry.” Knowing God keeps one’s feet pressing forward and not retreating. And like the 23rd Psalm, looking back I saw the footprints of Goodness and Mercy following me all the way. Thanks for your personal reflections on your journey. Good stuff!
March 14, 2007, 1:50 PM Ray Pritchard says:
	Michael, I love that phrase “process learning.” Seems to sum up the whole Christian life, doesn’t it? We’re all “in process” from what we are to what God wants us to be. It helps me to remember that when I feel like I’m sidetracked or when my life seems to be going in circles—or even backwards. A few days ago I mentioned this to a friend and commented that I want to “enjoy the journey.” This friend replied, “Don’t just enjoy the journey. Trust the journey.” That put a new spin on it for me. I can trust the journey because I know the One who leads the way, even when I can’t see him. Thanks for your comment. It’s always good to hear from you. Ray
March 14, 2007, 1:52 PM Ray Pritchard says:
	Heather, it often seems that we only grow through the hard times of life. That’s not literally true, of course, because God works in the happy moments also. But as we look back, it’s good to know that when we feel forgotten, the Lord is with us still. God bless you on your journey with the Lord. Ray
March 14, 2007, 1:55 PM Ray Pritchard says:
	Steve, it’s hard to believe that I got started on this journey three decades ago. I couldn’t have known or dream or imagined all that has happened—much less where I am at this moment. But “he knows the way that I take.” I am very happy about that fact. I like that image of the footprints of Goodness and Mercy following me all the way. Very biblical and very encouraging. Ray
March 14, 2007, 1:58 PM Ray Pritchard says:
	Sam, thanks for your comment. That’s a huge insight from Bill Bright because it is unexpected in a sense. Yet it is obvious if you stop and think about it. If we can teach new believers the true character of God, they have the foundation they need. Everything else is just details. At least that’s the way life seems for me. It’s all God all the time. I’m still learning that every day. Ray