It’s March  25 and I am on the Amtrak going to New Jersey.  My best friend is giving birth to our baby lol. I am kidding it’s her and her husband’s baby girl.  I’m taking the trip to be there for the delivery and the first few days of her life! I’m excited and nervous to meet her but I know it will be a glorious day.  I usually take the train at midnight so that I can sleep through the 10-hour train ride. The ten-hour hour ride is nothing compared to the joy and anticipation I am feeling about meeting my baby niece.

In typical fashion, I was sleeping but I drifted in and out of sleep. As I listened to the orchestra of snoring adults and one child I was getting a little irritated. But I was so focused on my destination that the off key orchestra was easily tolerated . One lady to my right was in such a somber that she would wake up and fall right back asleep in an upright position and her body would drop back down to the chair.

In my head I could hear the judgment coming on but the Holy Spirit checked me. My judgment would be presumptuous because I didn’t know what she was going through or what type of sickness or condition she might have. You see most of us on the train were going to the same place. Each of us sat in anticipation as we awaited the arrival to our final destination. Yet, our journey is different even when the mode of transportation is the same. There were some people who never slept, those who worked, talked, watched movies or just watched as the train passed the various cities.  We were going to the same place but each of us had a different perspective of that train ride.

My question is: Is their journey invalid?

Each person on the train is going through personal issues, facing fears, hurt, feeling happiness, experiencing joy and a range of other emotions yet they are on a journey. Trusting that the driver will get them to their destination safely. Every hour or so a conductor walks through the aisle letting us know what stop is next and what to do at that particular stop. I wonder what everyone is thinking about. What’s going through their mind in this moment. Are they hurt? Are they happy? I see a small family sitting across from each other  and I wonder what they discuss. When I was growing up I always found it mind blowing that God knew exactly what was going on with every single person in the world. He’s with me now and with the other people thousands of miles away. 

On that day we were on a train to our destination and all though the mode of transportation is the same our journey is different. Even if you’ve never been on a train that statement is the same for you– You are on a journey to a destination. Wherever you are don’t discredit your experience because it’s doesn’t look like mine. It’s okay if you’ve fallen asleep along the way, you have to know when to be alert and when to rest. Let the Holy Spirit instruct you so you will know and be ready when your stop comes. Be alert so that you won’t sleep when it times to rise and you won’t rise when its time to rest. Trust the one who drives the train—God. Trust that He will get you safely to your destination. 

Your destination isn’t going to move, it will always be there but what will your journey look like? The journey gives you perspective for your destination. YOU CANNOT GET TO THE DESTINATION WITHOUT THE JOURNEY.  

Along the journey you learn more about who you are and who God is. We learn how to trust His route and rely on His wisdom. Sometimes it might feel like we don’t know the route God is taking us on, we walk as if our eyes are blindfolded. Approaching every step with caution, stretching our hands before our bodies checking for obstacles. We search and search until we realize the path is safe. Even with such precaution if our steps are not ordered by God we can lose our footing. But I’m realizing that His route is explained in His word.  We are told to expect trials, tribulations, suffering and abundance. If we set our heart to know the one who drives the train, then we will trust His route . We won’t feel like we are blind but instead we approach every step knowing that God is leading us.

The appreciation of the journey changes when we understand the importance of the destination. I am positive that if the train broke down, every single passenger would wait until it was fixed to ensure the arrival to their destination or wait for another train. I can remember waiting patiently for my train to arrive even though it was delayed by 2 hours. Why? Because being there for my best friend was more important than the two hours wasted waiting for the train. Can any earthly destination compare to our heavenly destination? The answer to that is a RESOUNDING NO! Nothing compares to spending eternity with God, our Father.  Trust the one who orders our steps, trust Him because He knows the way better than you do! Trust Jesus because it is in Him we learn the way to God– obedience even to the point of death.

P.S Over the last month I’ve had to make a decision that I know has and will change my life forever. That decision is choosing to trust God even when I don’t understand and when I am disappointed. Its easy for me to deny the fact that sometimes I’ve said yes I trust God but I truly didn’t. But I don’t see the reason in lying to you when I’ve already told God the truth. In life things happen that will make us feel slighted, forgotten, overlooked and unvalued. That is exactly how I felt and those feelings made me feel like, ” God I trust you but how could you allow this to happen”. It took me some time to realize that my experience didn’t disqualify God’s character. It was true I did feel all of those things but when I started seeking Him and pouring out my hurt and heart I realized something– God is not offended by my pain. Pain like thirst requires us to draw from an external force and the only one that thoroughly understood and saw my pain was God. At times I wasn’t even sure how I felt and He helped me to know that even that was okay. So in the midst of those situations and feelings seek what God has to say and we will see that He has our life in His hands, He hears and sees us and we are loved. At times it might not feel like it, but like I said: while on the train we realize that our destination is worth the journey, regardless of it’s difficulty. God is more than our feelings and He is worth the journey.

‘The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the Lord , And He delights in his way [and blesses his path]. ‘When he falls, he will not be hurled down, Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand and sustains him. ‘ ‘ Psalm 37:23-24

‘Blessed and greatly favored is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion. ‘ Psalm 84:5

‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you [who are willing to learn] with My eye upon you. ‘PSALMS 32:8

Thanks for reading. With Love Through Christ, Nadesha

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