First Baptist Church of Herndon

Trip Journal

Linda Soller | Nov 10, 2014

These past few weeks we’ve been on our journey home, home to where the heart is. We’ve looked at this road we call life for connections to God. Some of us feel we have completed the journey and reached where we are content to dwell until our final trip. Others of us are perpetual travelers, always taking another turn, heading off in a new direction. No matter which group you belong to, you carry memories of your journey. They are stored inside you, waiting to be accessed when needed.

When my girls were young I kept a trip journal for our annual trips to the beach and to Colonial Williamsburg. In this journal I’d note the really important things like; which exit to take off of Interstate 95 to get to our favorite fast food locations, how far we went before stopping for gas or a rest stop, and did we do anything out of the ordinary along the way. One of my favorite notes was how long it took us to get from our house to the interstate highway. I got very excited about getting to the interstate faster each year. Our departure time did make a difference. As we left the state of Virginia, heading to Myrtle Beach, we always listened to, and sang along with, James Taylor’s song, Carolina in My Mind. Before you start thinking, does this woman have a life, I’ll have you know I can look back on some fun memories noted in my journal, and some of my notes did come in handy to make the next trip go smoother. So it was not all craziness.

I don’t have to guess what would be in Jesus’ travel journal. The Bible has much of the information. We can see where He went, and stopped. We get a feel for how He traveled, and who He traveled with. Sometimes we know what He’s thinking about a situation by His words and often by His actions. As we’ve traveled along on our journey these last few weeks we learned about some of His favorite destinations and why He’d take to the highway. Hey, another line from a James Taylor song! I digress, and yet Jesus did walk down many a country road, as He made His way back to His home, to His father. I wonder sometimes if He wished for more time to record details of His journey. I have to believe there were many things He noticed, things missed by His disciples, and lost from the records of His travels.

I no longer keep an official travel journal. My travel companions have changed a bit over the years, but we still note the best exits for food, and change our directions to avoid traffic problems for the next year. Often our discussion centers on memories of the last trip or the trip we would like to take. Our journeys are rarely intended to be impactful, but we find they often are just that. We try hard to enjoy the journey itself. The driver may change, the mode of transportation may be altered, and certainly the weather will be variable, but the value of the journey is priceless to us. Does everyone need to have a travel journal? Certainly it’s not a requirement, but aren’t we glad we have Jesus’ travel journal! His was the best kind of travel journal, one that lived on after his travels, that brings us smiles, and tears, and opens the floods of memories and lessons we might have lost. His journal challenges us to stay on the right path and head in the right direction. It warns of pitfalls and wrong turns on the road of life. His journal helps make for a smoother journey, if we let it.

The next time you take to the highway, head down a country road, or simply step toward your future, don’t forget to record the journey in your heart.

Have a great week!  :o)    Linda