Lauri and I just returned from a week’s vacation in Florida. We experienced beautiful 80 degree days and had lots of fun together, but we were glad to return home. Coming home is always such a good feeling — at least it is for us. Sure, we are still a few weeks away from spring, and it is a bit colder here… ok… about 50-60 degrees colder… but it is home. Home is familiar. Home is comfortable. Home is like wrapping yourself in a warm, soft blanket on a cold winter night.
You know, our trip down to the Orlando area didn’t go as I anticipated it. We left on Friday morning at 12 AM… yeah… about 6 hours after that lovely ice and snow storm. The first 60 miles of our trip was driven on snow covered roads, but I was optimistic. Leaving at 12 AM, after a 4 hour nap, meant we would see the sun rise in Virginia after we had traversed mostly deserted highways, and would be almost halfway to our destination. Yep… the trip down should be a breeze… And it was… until we hit South Carolina.
By noon the highways were crowded, and I am pretty sure that 9 out of 10 cars were aimed at Florida! Just how crowded were the highways? For the last 500 miles of our trip I used my cruise control for exactly 16 miles… the last 16 miles of the 1007 mile trip — traffic was just so heavy that trying to use it would have been worthless.
But in South Carolina, 18 miles from Georgia, we came to a complete stop on I-95. My GPS informed us of an accident on the bridge spanning the Colombia River into Georgia. The expected delay? Two hours and fifty minutes! Time to put on the hat of Adventureneering Steve! It was only 1.5 miles to the closest exit. How did I drive that 1.5 miles when traffic was at a standstill? Simple. I just drove up the grass alongside of the highway… no big deal. One hour of sightseeing around the lovely town of Savannah saw us south of the river and back on I-95. I was pretty proud of myself!
Surely the worst was behind us… well… 5 more traffic jams LATER… we reached our destination after an 18 hour saga. I had actually begun reviewing some of the survival shows I have watched… you know, how to sterilize swamp water and drink your own urine type of stuff… Hey, I’ve eaten alligator before… and it’s not too bad — so what if we have to camp out for the night alongside of a scummy Florida pond — we are going to get there!
My trip down to Florida and back home again this year taught me a valuable lesson… When it comes to traveling… the destination is everything! When we traveled to Florida traffic literally became heavier every single state the further south we went. Why? Because most of my fellow travelers were heading to the same destination… Florida. Ah Florida! 80 degree days, warm sunny beaches, shorts, sunglasses and sightings of Mickey Mouse. People in Michigan, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia… they all dream of Florida in winter. Hence the 18 hour trip.
But something interesting happened on the return trip…traffic became LESS every single state we traveled north. And guess what? NO TRAFFIC JAMS! Well.. none on OUR side of the highway, anyway. A trip that took 18 hours south… only took 14.5 coming home. Do you know why? Because everyone heading north was NOT going to Ohio! Hey, I like Ohio… I am a fan… but apparently many people aren’t. When it comes to traffic… the destination is everything!
Folks, when it comes to how you travel this life today — the end destination is everything! As C.S. Lewis once said, “You were made for another world.” While we aim to finish this life well, we do that with the understanding that there is a life to come in Eternity one day.
Jesus once said, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:19-21 NLT
Do you know what Jesus is saying? What you do in this life matters in the life to come! We do life today with the awareness that this life is temporary, but life in Heaven will be forever. So today, we ought to always travel with our eyes on the final destination — Heaven. We make choices and seek to live out the Gospel all while we entice other people to arrive at our destination with us in Heaven. Ah Heaven! The Glory of Christ on display! No more pain, death or sin! An eternity to enjoy God and others forever!
I wish that road was more crowded, but I am grateful for the promises of scripture that as I travel this road of life today — I am going home!
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