For the Journey Literature

Thanksgiving night 2024, I cooked supper for my parents. (If you know me, you know it absolutely was not turkey and dressing…) We ate, played cards, and I left their house thinking, “My throat feels kind of funny. I hope I didn’t just get my parents sick.” Sunday after Thanksgiving, a trip to urgent care revealed it wasn’t strep, flu, or COVID. A doctor’s appointment about a month or so later when the cough was still relentless revealed urgent care should have tested for whooping cough… And, 15 months later, I have asthma and am still coughing every single day of my life. Whenever the cough has at least improved significantly, I’ve come down with the common cold or COVID or a really long word I couldn’t pronounce at the time and don’t remember now or, most recently, the flu. It’s been great…just great…

Other than my sister getting to hear, “I’m sooo tired,” on a daily basis at work and, “I feel like death warmed over,” at least once weekly, I’ve really tried not to whine because I can’t stand to hear other people whine, so I try not to do it. Plus, there are just way worse things. I’m also (Lord, forgive me!) a compulsive “I’m fine” liar. 

But, after being miserably sick pretty much the whole month of December, catching the flu in February resulted in multiple meltdowns. And, the night this week when I was literally crying because I was too tired to put up groceries much less try to squeeze in a couple of hours of working on Sunday School literature (as embarrassing as that is to admit), I had a very honest, unfiltered conversation with God. I informed Him, not that He didn’t already know, that trying to do ministry while working full-time and keeping up with all the demands of life on my own already felt next to impossible before I was sick all the time. Then, I said something to the effect of, “I just really need to know You’re still with me in this…” because it all felt like too much.

On my lunch break the next day, I had a teen lesson from Mark that I had started on my lunch the day before that I just knew could wait because I had to start new adult literature. And, as I started outlining a lesson from Jeremiah 1, I knew why. It wasn’t because I was stressed about being behind and not even having a single lesson started when I really needed to already have at least one and a half written to stay on schedule, although I thought that was what it was. It was God, in His goodness, giving me exactly what I’d told Him I needed.

Jeremiah 1 records Jeremiah’s call. And, God really didn’t deal very gently with Jeremiah. When Jeremiah tried to offer an excuse, God plainly told him not to even go there and that his job was obedience. He was to go where God sent him and say what God told him to say. He commanded Jeremiah not to fear, knowing there would be plenty of temptation for Jeremiah to do so. He warned Jeremiah part of his prophetic role was going to be rooting out, pulling down, destroying, and throwing down. He warned Jeremiah those in power and all the people of the land would fight against him. Still, even as God prepared Jeremiah for a very hard row, toward the middle of the chapter, He told him, “…for I am with thee to deliver thee,” (Jeremiah 1:8), and then, the final verse of the chapter reads, “And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee” (Jeremiah 1:19). God assured Jeremiah he would never be alone.

We are so good at focusing on the hard. In life, in ministry, in you name it, we see obstacles. We see struggles and trials and frustrations. We see all the reasons to fear. We see the fight. And, we just want all of that to go away. We really just want easy. Instead, we should find strength, peace, and even joy in the Lord’s presence with us in the midst of the hard. Instead, we should remember deliverance is certain. We won’t mind the hard nearly as much if our focus is on the one carrying us through it.

I discontinued monthly reviews back in November, so this is the first quarterly review to update you on all things For the Journey since then.

Monday Morning Verses for the Facebook Page:

Most Exciting Thing:  Wrapping up new VBS literature for this year

“The Adventures of David:  The Young Shepherd,” a new Super Saturday VBS option, is available now. I honestly wasn’t sure I would be able to finish it in time, but sometimes, this wonderful thing happens during the winter quarter:  My prayers are answered, and I get snow!  So, this year, during the snow/ice, while soaking up the wonderful white stuff and remembering how it feels to be happy and not stressed and overwhelmed, I also watched God drop the rest of the major pieces into place for me to be able to finish VBS literature, and it was such a blessing.  I had so much fun writing the skit for this one, and the ad for it has to be one of the cutest I’ve ever designed.

Favorite Devotional Facebook Post:  Too hard to choose…

There were a handful, and I loved and needed all of them.  “Just Ask Them” had the most shares, but the one I forgot to give a title in January (Whoops!) may have been my favorite.  I don’t know, though.  “If You Can Believe” and “Graciously Broken” were so special too.  They were all blessings to me, and I just can’t choose.

Biggest Surprise:  First “Tough Topics” blog post for the website

This was something that had been on my mind and heart for a while.  And, thanks to some extra time for my favorite work because of the snow, I didn’t have any excuses left for delayed obedience and was actually able to take it from a few notes to a fully-developed blog post.  (Can you tell how much I absolutely love snow?!)  If you missed it, just keep scrolling after reading this post.

Biggest Challenge:  That Easter lesson…

So, December, January, and February are the winter quarter, but I actually write for the spring quarter during those months, and that means writing an Easter lesson.  It makes me feel like a terrible Christian to admit this, but I struggle so much every year with that task.  I get overwhelmed with all the material to choose from, panic, and freeze.  It’s bad, and I feel terribly guilty about it every year because the crucifixion and resurrection are paramount.  I want to enjoy writing about them.  I also really thought it would be different this year because I had a bit of a plan for the lesson when I settled on new adult literature for the spring quarter.  But, no, I still put it off until last and still struggled immensely. However, this year, after all the procrastinating, prayers, scribbling, and grimaces of frustration, when I finished proofing the lesson, there was this rewarding moment when I just felt perfectly at peace with the result, like it turned out exactly as it was supposed to, and that was such a blessing after the struggle.

That hits the highlights for the last three months.  Stay tuned for more!

Scripture Reading:

• Matthew 5:9
• Matthew 5:38-48
• Romans 12:14-21
• Proverbs 20:3
• Galatians 2:11-21
• Matthew 18:15-17
• James 1:19-20

So…I’ve had this idea to start a “Tough Topics” series of blog posts for probably over four months, and I’ve been successfully avoiding it because there was never an option in my mind for the first one other than conflict, and I do not do conflict. I will take the loss. I will be absolutely, completely, and totally miserable and not say a word about it. I do not confront people. Nope. Not my thing. My very limited experience with conflict has been almost universally negative, so I just avoid it at all costs.

Needless to say, I was hoping for another idea for a topic that was tough, but not quite so tough for me personally, or I hoped to be able to suddenly forget the whole idea altogether. Neither one of those things has happened yet, and I’m starting to feel guilty about delayed obedience. So, here we go…

While my no way, no how attitude toward conflict is not biblical, the Bible is clear we shouldn’t be eager to fight and argue with people. God’s people are to be people of peace. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). In that same sermon, Jesus taught that we are to turn the other cheek and give more than what’s required. He instructed us to take the loss and suffer the abuse rather than retaliate (Matthew 5:38-42). Jesus also commanded:

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:44-45).

Paul offered very similar instruction in Romans 12:14-21, specifically writing in verse 18, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” We’re responsible for doing as much as we possibly can on our end to keep the peace. Furthermore, Proverbs 20:3 reads, “It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.” This verse teaches that it’s honorable to avoid unnecessary arguments and squabbles. It’s the right and wise thing to do. Conflict should always be a last resort, not a first response. If we haven’t prayed for the person we really want to ream out, we should probably bite our tongue. If we haven’t done all we can to keep peace, we should start there first.

But, sometimes, conflict is necessary. After all, Paul once publicly opposed Peter to his face, as recorded in Galatians 2:11-21. In this instance, there was a clear and grievous offense. Through his actions, Peter was harming the gospel and leading others (like Barnabas) into sin. Peter didn’t proclaim that grace through faith in Jesus Christ wasn’t enough, but his hypocritical actions would easily lead people to that conclusion. You’ve heard the expression, “Pick your battles.”  Well, this was a battle worth fighting. When the truth of the gospel is at stake, conflict is absolutely necessary. It’s not optional. Paul had to speak up. Furthermore, the offense was public in this instance, so the correction had to be public as well. Paul could not simply go to Peter privately because that wouldn’t undo the damage done. As unpleasant as it may be, sometimes we do have to boldly confront others.

While, in the example from Galatians 2:11-21, there were extenuating circumstances and Paul was right to immediately confront Peter and do so openly for the gospel’s sake, when it comes to conflict among believers, Christ taught us to go to our brother privately first, then with one or two witnesses if our brother won’t hear us, and then tell the church if need be. (See Matthew 18:15-17.) When we have an issue with someone, we need to deal with it as privately and quickly as possible. We don’t need to spread it and try to win people to our side. We should always do our best to keep a small issue from blowing up into a major ordeal.

We also don’t need to engage in conflict while angry. Heated arguments generally end with both parties still mad. If we feel we must confront someone, we need to make sure we’ve taken the time to calm down first. James 1:19-20 reads, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:  For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” If our temper is blazing, all we’re going to do is make matters worse.

This obviously hasn’t been an exhaustive study on all the Bible has to teach us about conflict, but I do hope you’ve found it helpful in some way. It’s okay if conflict makes you uncomfortable. It’s good to avoid it as much as possible. But, there are times when we need to engage in conflict, and we should be equipped to do so in the right way.

For Further Study:

• Colossians 3:13 – Forbearing and forgiving as commanded helps us avoid conflict.
• Matthew 5:21-26 – Reconciliation is important.
• 2 Timothy 2:23-26 – Avoid unnecessary arguments.
• Galatians 6:1 – Be humble and gentle in correction. The goal is restoration.
• Proverbs 15:1 – What we say and how we say it matter.
• Ephesians 4:15 – Speak the truth in love.

Time for one last Month in Review… November was a hard month. Having a cold the first week of the month meant falling further behind during one of the worst months to fall behind because of orders to print. So, the rest of the month I was incredibly sleep deprived, which also meant I was an interesting level of cranky. But, I tried to hide that (albeit unsuccessfully at times) and did meet all deadlines and survive the month, so I’m counting that as a win.

This month, the Monday Morning Verses for the Facebook page were from Colossians, and the Trivia Fun was about King Nebuchadnezzar and his pride-induced fall. There was also one devotional post for the Facebook page early in the month. 

The last highlight for the website was another podcast highlight. This time, I went with Episode 3: “When the Journey Leaves You Bitter.” It’s one of my favorites, and in a month where the temptation toward bitterness was intense at times, it was beneficial for me to revisit it.

As far as writing goes, I continued to work on current lesson studies and devotional projects that are in progress. I also started a new adult study from Psalms that I’m really excited about after struggling for a bit to settle on where to go next. 

One night, too tired to think and needing something relaxing, I started drawing images to use for VBS advertising, which was fun. I’m trying not to think about the fact that, that’s all I’ve done for VBS or that content is more important than advertising… I’ll get there.

That pretty much covers November and wraps up the end of 10 years of For the Journey. So, now for the “and More” part…

Not that I would expect you to remember, but last November, wrestling with whether to continue with For the Journey or hang it up, I committed to one more year. And, the plan was to spend that year celebrating 10 years of For the Journey and prayerfully considering if a decade was all that was meant to be or if I should carry on.  

In the early months after that post, there were moments I was sure I was hanging it up. There were moments I didn’t even think I would make it to November before hanging it up. But, there were also moments I didn’t think there was any way at all I could walk away from it. Basically, I was just uncertain. Just praying and seeking.  

Then, one night in July, I was over at my parents’ house ranting to my Mom about never having enough time for anything (because that was totally an effective use of what time I did have…). Really, I was just angry rambling, and I heard myself say, “I mean, I guess I could give up running, but then you’ll have to have me committed because I’ll go stark raving mad.” I really put forth a great deal of effort to always appear calm and collected before the rest of the world, but my Mom gets the real me… Moving on, in my mind, the thought of giving up running, which is my therapy in case you didn’t pick up on that, brought me back to debating giving up For the Journey, and I had to ask myself what my life would look like without it. I’m not a wife. I’m not a mom. I’ve had a variety of jobs and side jobs, but I don’t have a career. (As much as I would love for it to, I’m a realist, and writing doesn’t pay bills, so it doesn’t count as a career.) Suddenly, all these questions were rapid firing through my mind: What would be left? What would I do with all this time I’m spending each week? I don’t have TV. I don’t have many friends. I don’t have money to travel. Plus, I’m a homebody, and traveling stresses me out, so I wouldn’t if I had the money. I have a to-be-read pile of books that is out of control, but still… Would I go nuts? I might go nuts! I realized, in that moment, how big a hole it would leave in my life if I gave up this ministry that I’ve poured my heart and soul into for 10 years, and I didn’t want to face that hole. So, just like that, I had my answer. Ten years seemed like a good start, not a good place to stop.

Then, in October, after one more writing disappointment (One would think I’d be used to those by now…), I got really depressed and wavered pretty seriously on that decision. I got to thinking I was wrong to feel so sure. I got to thinking maybe I needed to pray some more. Do a little more seeking. After all, it wasn’t the end of November. I hadn’t committed to anything yet.  

As if I haven’t overshared and been transparent enough in this post already, here goes some more… I needed ideas for three lessons to finish up an adult study, or I was going to be in serious trouble when it came time to print November orders. So, naturally, I started praying about it. And, if I’m not mistaken, it was the very next day, and I found myself at work quickly typing notes into my phone because I had it. I had all three of them. I just couldn’t write them at that exact moment and didn’t want to lose the flow of ideas. I was amazed at how fast and how completely God answered my prayer (so amazed that I struggled not to start crying randomly at work, which would have been hard to explain).

Not long after that (In fact, I really think it was the next night.), it hit me like a ton of bricks that most of the time God answers my personal prayers with nos or endless waiting. To clarify, I don’t mean He tells me to wait for 10 years when I pray for forgiveness because I messed up or only answers all my prayers of any sort with nos. I’m referring to those desperate-desires-of-my-heart prayers, those sure-feel-like-needs-not-wants-to-me prayers. Those have almost all been nos or endless waiting. And, that was a really hard realization. It made me feel like the lousiest of all Christians on the face of the earth. But, I also had to admit I pray for the wrong things. I pray for things I think will finally make me happy or make life fun and enjoyable instead of just all about survival. I pray prayers without any faith behind them because years of disappointments and waiting have left me bitter and doubting. Plus, I close with “Not my will, but Thine be done,” and well, His will usually doesn’t match mine, and that’s okay. He knows better, and I know that even if I don’t always like it. Seriously, I racked my brain trying to think of personal prayers that had been answered and not with a no or wait and wait and wait some more, and I’m ashamed of how long it took to even come up with one… 

The next realization, however, made me feel a little better about myself. I remembered how fast and completely God had answered that prayer for those three Sunday School lessons. And, I realized that I couldn’t think of one time, not one time, when I was stumped on a lesson and started praying that God didn’t answer. I couldn’t think of one time that I had prayed for direction for where to go next for a study or for help finishing a project that God answered with a no. When I pray in writing, God answers and often without much wait time on my part.  

Realizing this crazy hard but also crazy wonderful writing journey is where I’ve been blessed to see prayers answered again and again, realizing it’s been what makes me feel closest to God, realizing it’s where I feel most securely in His will for me and for my life, well, those all seemed like much better reasons for continuing on than just not wanting to face a rather large void.

In “The Month in Review and More” from last November, I wrote, “…my hope and prayer is something happens in the next year allowing me to break through the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion currently plaguing me and that I’m ready for (I don’t know) at least 10 more years of For the Journey by next November.” And, except maybe for the physical exhaustion part because I’m definitely still existing in a constant state of tiredness, I think that hope was realized, that prayer answered, just in time for me to finalize a decision for my self-appointed deadline.

So, I’m not closing up shop, but this will be the last Month in Review. They were a great way to document all the things to celebrate 10 years of For the Journey, but they take time that I think could be better spent doing other things, and most months they’re a little repetitive. So, I’m still toying with the idea of perhaps doing quarterly reviews, and I’m tossing around some other ideas in my head for website posts. We’ll just have to see… I’m also nixing the monthly Trivia Fun on the For the Journey Facebook page. I think only about three or four people will miss it anyway. Good news, though, at least for now, I’m planning to continue with the Monday Morning Verses as well as all other For the Journey offerings, just less prolifically because, as much as I hate to admit it, I just can’t keep up like I could in my 20s. Still, I’m excited and can’t wait to continue this journey, so I hope you’ll stay tuned for more!

It’s November, so this will be the last of the highlights as part of celebrating 10 years of For the Journey. It still seemed a bit too soon for a “From the Writings of Paul” highlight, so I went with another podcast highlight this month. I struggled a little more with choosing an episode this time, but I finally went with Episode 3, which was originally released in May of 2021. I probably enjoyed this particular episode so much because I got to talk about one of my absolute favorite books of the Bible–Ruth, and revisiting it for this post was good for me. Again, I opted for sharing my script from the episode rather than the audio again, so I hope you enjoy giving it a read instead of a listen this time or enjoy it for the first time if you missed it back in 2021.

For the Journey Podcast

Episode 3:  “When the Journey Leaves You Bitter”

Welcome back to For the Journey Podcast.  I hope your week is off to a good start.  This is not at all the episode I originally had in mind for this month.  But, God changed my plans sort of last minute, and tonight we’re looking at “When the Journey Leaves You Bitter.”

If it’s not my favorite book of the Bible, Ruth is definitely near the top of my list, and one of the reasons I love it so well is Naomi’s journey from bitterness to joy.  As much as I admire the incredibly faithful and fiercely loyal Ruth, most of the time, I relate more to the pessimistic and bitter Naomi.  I can be a bit of an Eeyore if we’re admitting faults…

When we first meet Naomi, her grief at losing her husband and both her sons has left her so bitter, she encourages her daughters-in-law to return to their people—people who neither believed in nor worshipped the Lord.  And, she succeeds with one of them.  She’s so bitter she doesn’t really care when Ruth proclaims her faith in the one true God.  She just stops speaking to her when she sees she can’t convince her to go home to her family.  She’s so bitter that, when they make it to Bethlehem, she can’t even stand to hear her own name.  She’s not Naomi.  She’s not pleasant.  She’s anything but.  She’s Mara.  Bitter.

So, let’s explore how Naomi got to that point and how we sometimes get to that point.

First, the journey leaves us bitter when we decide God got it wrong.  As Naomi’s trying to convince Orpah and Ruth to go home to their families, she tells them, “it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me” (Ruth 1:13).  Later, when she dubs herself Mara, she says, “for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.  I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty:  why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?” (Ruth 1:20-21).  In Naomi’s mind, God was wrong to take her husband and both her sons.  God could have and should have prevented her intense grief, but instead, He chose to afflict her.  He chose to leave her heart-broken and alone in the world.  It was all God’s fault. 

And, whether it’s in grief, as was the case for Naomi, or in frustration and disappointment, when we stop trusting that God knows best even when He allows us to face unpleasant and painful circumstances and start blaming Him, we quickly grow bitter.  Even when our journey is filled with heartache and pain, even when it leaves us wondering why and longing for a detour to a much smoother path, we have to trust that God knows what He’s doing and allowing in our lives.  Otherwise we’ll be as bitter as Naomi.

Our journey also leaves us bitter when we close our eyes to our blessings.  Let’s look at Naomi’s words when she tells the people of Bethlehem to call her Mara again.  She makes the statement:  “I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty” (Ruth 1:21).  Wait a minute…  Empty?  What about Ruth, the devoted daughter-in-law walking beside her, the one who left country and kindred to remain with her, the one who a little later in the narrative labors hard gleaning in the fields to provide and care for her?  God hadn’t brought Naomi home empty.  God had brought her home with Ruth, a tremendous blessing. 

Yes, our journey through life will be hard at times, extremely hard at times, and yes, there will be times when it seems like everything is going wrong and we have to look a whole lot harder for our blessings.  But, even in the roughest stretches of our journey, God is good, and there will be blessings.  We shouldn’t close our eyes to that and choose to see only the bad as Naomi did.  If we do, yeah, we’re gonna get lost in bitterness.

Finally, our journey leaves us bitter when we lose hope, when we stop believing things can change, stop believing things will get better.  At the beginning of the Book of Ruth, Naomi honestly believed her story was all but over.  She was too old for another husband, too old for more children.  In her mind, she would spend the rest of her days lonely, poor, grief-stricken, and likely even fearful with living at the time of the judges and without the benefit of male protection.  Little did she know, the Lord was going to lead Ruth, that blessing of a daughter-in-law of hers, to the fields of a mighty and wealthy man by the name of Boaz who just so happened to be a kinsmen of her deceased husband Elimelech.  Little did she know, Boaz would be willing and able to act as their kinsman redeemer.  Little did she know, one day, the women of Bethlehem would be rejoicing with her over the birth of Obed, a child who would be, as the women put it, a restorer of life to Naomi and a nourisher of her old age (Ruth 4:15).  Had Naomi’s life taken a devastating turn?  Yes.  Absolutely.  But, it wasn’t over.  Her situation was not as hopeless as it seemed.  God hadn’t abandoned her, and she was going to know joy again.  There was still reason for her to hope. 

In our own lives, when we face bad day after bad day, when life feels like endless struggle, rather than growing bitter, rather than deciding things will never improve, we need to hold on to hope.  We need to trust that one day the storm will pass.  The struggle will end.  We need to expect that elusive good day to come.  We need to look forward to the moment we realize, even when it didn’t feel like it, God knew what He was doing and had good plans for us all along.

So, to sum it all up, to avoid growing bitter along your journey, remember:  God never gets it wrong; look for your blessings; and always hang on to hope.  Thanks again for listening, and God bless!

Today marks the end of another month, so it’s time for another monthly review. I was a major slacker this month when it came to short devotional posts for the Facebook page. Sorry! There were, however, still Monday morning verses, which came from Hebrews this month, as well as the trivia fun, which was about Onesimus. 

On the website this month, I posted a podcast highlight instead of a 30-Day Devotional highlight. Keep scrolling after you read this post if you missed “When the Journey’s Long.” But, speaking of 30-Day Devotionals, much to my surprise, I wrapped up the one I had been working on for over a year early this month. So, I did share a sneak peek of “From the Writings of Paul” on the website before I started taking orders. That was extremely exciting to me and an answer to prayers.

As far as writing goes, in addition to finishing up “From the Writings of Paul,” I started a new project and primarily worked on adult lessons from Esther, preparing for printing orders in November.

Other than some proofing and editing, that pretty much covers October. Stay tuned for one last Month in Review at the end of November.

When I wrote last month’s Month in Review, I made the statement that I was out of 30-Day Devotionals to highlight so there would be something different this month. At the time, I didn’t realize I would finish my latest 30-Day Devotional “From the Writings of Paul” this month. Still, a sneak peek and a highlight in the same month seems like a bit much, so we’ll stick with the something different plan for this month.

Of all my For the Journey offerings, Sunday School literature is where it all started. I love writing the 30-Day Devotionals and Bible Study Guides. VBS, like children’s Sunday School literature, seemed impossible for a long time but turned out to be a lot of fun for me. But, by far the most outside-my-comfort-zone and challenging offering is the podcast. Sometimes I still can’t believe I ever did that. I prefer to think the fact that there are never enough hours in the day is why episodes have become so sporadic, but I’m honest enough to admit the fact that there’s a big part of me still so uncomfortable with even a massively amateur podcast might be a contributing factor.

Still, I learned a lot from my attempts at podcasting and even had quite a bit of fun with some of the episodes, like the one featured in this highlight. Rather than share the audio again, I opted for sharing my script from Episode 6 (originally released in July of 2021) below. I hope you enjoy giving it a read instead of a listen this time if you caught it back in 2021 or enjoy it for the first time if not!

For the Journey Podcast

Episode 6:  When the Journey’s Long

Welcome back to For the Journey Podcast. If you’ve by chance caught every episode, then you may remember that I’ve mentioned this unfinished episode a couple of times.  God kept changing my plans, and His are far better than mine. Plus, it just wasn’t coming together. But…I’m really excited today because this is finally that episode. And, it seems completely appropriate that this episode was a longtime coming because, today, we’re discussing “When the Journey’s Long.”

Not counting a few overnight church trips, my family went on one real, honest-to-goodness, week-long vacation. One. And, I could tell you it’s because my Dad is so not a traveler, which is true. (I’m not much of one either honestly.) I could tell you it’s because cows are hard to leave unattended and summers are busy if you farm. Also true. I could tell you we almost never missed Sundays at our church with Dad being the pastor. That’s true as well. But, I’m pretty sure it might have had something to do with the trip.

We went to Fenton, Michigan, because my Mom had an aunt who lived there. We drove.  In case you weren’t aware, that’s an 18-hour trip both ways. We made said 18-hour trip in a 1995 sea-mist green Mercury Sable that came to be dubbed The Green Machine and at times The Green Monster much later on when my siblings and I all had the pleasure of learning to drive in it. My siblings and I were little. Like—“Are we still in Arkansas? What state are we in? Is it time to eat? Are we there yet? I’m hungry. How much farther? I can’t hold it…”—kind of little. We also took my Mom’s sister, meaning we had a total of six people in a car that would seat six for 18 hours. And, as my Dad put it at my aunt’s funeral, my Mom and her sister had a “Tom and Jerry relationship.” Trapping them in a car together for 18 hours wasn’t exactly ideal… Suffice it to say, the journey was long…so long…

About 45 minutes away from our final destination on the way up there, we made one last stop for gas. As we attempted to leave the gas station, The Green Machine decided to become The Green Monster and started dinging like vehicles do when the keys are in the ignition and the door’s open. The problem was: None of the doors were open. We checked. And then we checked again. We checked the trunk. That wasn’t open either. We couldn’t find a cause for the dinging, nor could we get it to stop. So, we listened to it…for the remaining 45 minutes of the trip, also known as the longest 45 minutes of my childhood.  

We did finally arrive at our destination, and the next time we started the car, the dinging had stopped. Still, the four or five days we spent in Michigan were not nearly enough to make me ready to repeat that trip. And, we took a slightly different route home—not exactly on purpose if you catch my drift. It wasn’t any shorter…

Sometimes, our journey can feel like our trip to Michigan. Sometimes, it feels like it takes forever to get where we’re going. Sometimes, there are unplanned stops and detours. Sometimes, it’s filled with frustrations that make it feel even longer, sort of like that 45 minutes of incessant dinging… Sometimes, it feels like we’re just never going to get where we’re going.

Turning to Scripture, David was anointed to be the next king of Israel because God had rejected Saul at about age 15. He became king of Judah only at age 30 and didn’t become king of all Israel and Judah for another seven years and six months. The journey from shepherd boy to king of Israel was long…  

Still, David stayed the course. And, it wasn’t an easy course. It was a course that included having King Saul flinging javelins at him. It was a course that meant being separated from his family and homeland on the run from Saul. It was a course that included danger at every turn, whether from Saul or from the Philistines or other Israelite enemies. And, I highly doubt David saw all that coming when Samuel anointed him. But, David stayed the course. If you read 1 Samuel, you’ll never find where he told God, “I know you’ve called me to be king of Israel one day and all, but this is getting rough, and I’d rather go back to keeping sheep” or anything to that effect. Day by day, he continued on the journey.  

Likewise, when our journey is long, we have to stay the course. In my life, I was 17 when I knew God’s calling on my life was writing Sunday School literature. The journey from that night to actually doing it was long, and the three years spent at Bible College composed the longest stretch of it. They were fraught with car trouble, homesickness, roommate and church changes, hard goodbyes, a few courses I frankly didn’t care much for, etc., etc. I thought of quitting almost every day and came dangerously close on one occasion, like had the email open about to cancel my appointment with my advisor to decide on courses for the next semester close. But, words cannot express how grateful I am that I stayed the course. The diploma itself means nothing to me. I honestly didn’t look at it close enough to know if my name is spelled right before handing it to my Mom, and I don’t even know where it is. As crazy as this sounds, it was never about getting an education. (I was sick of getting an education by fourth-grade.) For me, it was about whether I really meant it when I gave my life to the Lord? Did I really mean I would follow His directions no matter how I felt about them on my journey through this life? So, it’s knowing I didn’t willfully step out of God’s will for my life when sorely tempted to do so and that He brought me through that phase of my journey that means everything. In your life, whether it’s the journey to fulfilling your calling or the journey out of a particular struggle, stay the course. Walk with God day by day through it no matter how long the journey takes or what it holds.

Perhaps one of the biggest things that stands out to me about David’s journey from shepherd to king is just how much he trusted God’s timing. David knew God would put him on the throne when God wanted him on the throne. On two occasions, David could have killed King Saul and ended his time on the run and seemingly fast-tracked his journey to the throne. He didn’t even have to do it himself. His men were willing. He could keep his hands clean so to speak and just say the word. But, David trusted God’s timing. He walked in righteousness. Even though the journey had been long and would be longer, David trusted God and His timing.  

Impatient creatures that we are, it’s hard for us to do that. But, it’s far better for us to trust God’s timing when the journey stretches long before us than to get ourselves in a mess by trying to take matters into our own hands, by acting without prayerful consideration. That opportunity that may seem like the perfect way to shorten our journey to our desired destination may not be in God’s will. It may be as wrong for us as killing King Saul would have been for David.

During David’s long journey from young shepherd to king, he also grew. God used this long journey to transform him into a king. He, no doubt, grew spiritually. Just check out some of the psalms he wrote in this time. He also became an experienced leader and warrior. His long journey wasn’t without purpose. It was training for what was ahead. Similarly, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without the growth that took place during my long Bible College days. Not at all. So, when your journey stretches out long before you, know that there’s a purpose for it, and focus on growth. Grow spiritually. Grow in knowledge. Grow as a person. Grow in patience and endurance. Just grow.

To recap a bit, when your journey, whether that’s your journey through life in general or whether it’s your journey toward achieving a God-given goal, living His call on your life, starting up a new ministry, or whatever it might be, when it seems to stretch on and on and on, when it includes delays, when it takes you in a direction you didn’t see coming that doesn’t prove to be a shortcut, stay the course. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Trust God’s timing. Don’t rush. And, grow. Leave that phase of your journey better and stronger and most importantly closer to God than you were before.

Thanks for listening to what I’m pretty sure has been my longest episode so far. Fitting I guess. Oh, and should you decide to vacation to Michigan, do yourself a favor, fork over the money and fly.  Have a good week, and God bless.

Earlier this week on my For the Journey Facebook page, I promised a sneak peek of my next 30-Day Devotional “From the Writings of Paul.” Writing it was a long and at times frustrating journey, but the end of it was pure joy. I hope to start taking orders next week if all goes as planned. But, in the meantime, Day 26 is included below as a sneak peek. Enjoy and God bless!

Hard Things

“For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever; Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?” -Philemon 1:15-16

Philemon 1:1-21

I think, if you’ve been a Christian for any significant length of time, you will agree with the statement: Sometimes being a Christian means doing hard things. That was certainly true for Onesimus, the runaway slave, and for Philemon, the master.

Let’s start with Onesimus. Longing for freedom, Onesimus wronged his master, likely by stealing money to finance his getaway, and fled. No doubt by divine design, he met a man named Paul who both led him to the Lord and knew his master well. Forgiven and made new by God, Onesimus still had to do the hard thing. He still had to go back to his master. And, he had to do so knowing Paul could write him a pretty letter but Philemon could still opt for having him brutally punished or even put to death.

Then, there was Philemon, a man of love and faith to Jesus and to all saints. Though Paul didn’t order him to, he asked Philemon to show love to the slave who wronged him, to give up his right to punish and to receive Onesimus as a brother in Christ. Though it wasn’t an order, it wasn’t a gentle ask either. Paul told Philemon he had confidence that he would do more than he said. Paul believed Philemon would go above and beyond with love, forgiveness, and grace even though he’d been wronged. He believed Philemon would do the hard thing.

It’s not easy to humble ourselves and right a wrong, nor is it easy to show love and extend grace when we’ve been wronged. But, sometimes, being a Christian means doing hard things. After all, Christ certainly did hard things for us.

Do the hard things.

Since September ends today, it’s time for another monthly review. This one will probably be short. My primary focus this month was writing Sunday School lessons for all the age groups I offer. I also did quite a bit of proofreading and editing. Beyond that, I worked a little on my next 30-Day Devotional study. It’s still progressing very slowly, but hopefully, someday I’ll finish it… 

The Monday morning verses for the Facebook page came from Proverbs this month. And, since I’ve been writing adult Sunday School lessons from Esther, the trivia fun focused on two villains who plotted against the king unsuccessfully. The 30-Day Devotional highlight featured “Women of the Bible,” my tenth and most recent one. (Keep scrolling after reading this post if you missed it.) There were also three short devotional posts for the Facebook page this month, and they weren’t all from Mark this time. My favorite was probably “Beauty in a Broken Confession.” (Go check it out if you missed it.) 

That pretty much sums up September. Before I wrap it up, though, I do want to share that this month made me profoundly grateful for the ministry God has given me. Outside of writing and For the Journey, September was filled with varied and big emotions for a lot of reasons. But, the moments with my Bible, paper, and pen were moments of peace, moments of calm, that I desperately needed. And, I’m just grateful for God’s goodness and for His faithfulness to give us what we need. With that, I’m looking forward to what October has in store. Oh, and I’m out of 30-Day Devotionals to highlight, so look for something different next month.

Time for another 30-Day Devotional highlight… And, since my next one is still very much a work in progress, this one will likely be the last highlight for a while. My tenth one “Women of the Bible” was originally released in May of last year. It was a project I started with great reluctance. I knew very clearly that it was the idea the Lord had given me, but I wanted a different one. (I share more of why in the introduction to the study.) Thankfully, when I stepped back a bit from the writing part of the project to proofread the first devotionals, the study caught my passion, and from that point on, I believed in the value of it and was blessed in writing it. Going back and rereading some of the devotionals to select one for this highlight made me even more grateful for an idea that I was less than enthusiastic about in the beginning and for the end result.

As usual, one of the devotionals from the study is included below, and I hope you enjoy!

Looking Back

“But [Lot’s] wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” -Genesis 19:26

Genesis 19:15-26

In our passage for today, after she and her family were literally brought out of the city by angels holding their hands and after being given the simple instructions to escape and not look back, Lot’s wife just had to turn around. She had to have one more glimpse of the city she’d called home. And, God’s judgment was instant. She became a pillar of salt. That one backwards glance cost her, her life.

Now, here’s the thing. Sodom was a city where the Lord couldn’t even find 10 righteous people. Sodom was a city so desperately wicked that the men of the city wanted to have homosexual relations with the men they didn’t realize were angels who had come to deliver Lot and his family. Sodom was a city so wicked the men of the city didn’t have a problem with Lot’s offering over his two daughters for them to rape. Their problem was that Lot, a stranger among them, was judging them. Sodom was a city so wicked, but for the angels’ intervention, these men would have killed Lot. My point: There was nothing in Sodom worth looking back at–nothing.

Yet, having been granted such mercy from the Lord, having an opportunity to be spared, Lot’s wife looked back. She evidently had liked her life there. She evidently was comfortable surrounded day in and day out by such evil. She evidently didn’t want to leave.

Even if we assign her purer motives, even if we say she looked back because there were those she loved and cared about in the city, she still blatantly disobeyed a direct command from God. He was calling her to leave that life completely and totally behind without a backwards glance, and she did not.

May we never be like Lot’s wife. When God calls us to leave our sins behind in favor of a new life, may we never look back. May we never long for the things we once did or for how things once were. When God delivers us from a bad situation or a place of evil, may we never look back at what’s not worth looking back at. May we never become comfortable with sin and evil. May we never feel at home with wickedness. May we never disregard the Lord’s commands to do as we please.

Sin’s pleasures are temporary. God’s judgment is eternal. We cannot afford to be like Lot’s wife. Looking back carries a high price.

Never look back.