The Route Home

We disagreed on when we should leave. We disagreed on which way we should go. We even disagreed on how to handle the “what if’s” that might arise. What we did agree on was that we would only make the trip again if someone else was steering: like a pilot or a train conductor. The trip was too long and the vacation too short when it was bookended with four full days of driving.

As I write tonight, I am relaxing in a nice hotel room, but it will be even nicer to be home and in my own bed. We’ve eaten well on this trip, but it will be nice to reach in the freezer when we get home and have a Yasso yogurt bar which we both enjoy so much but can’t buy in our vacation destination. As for when we left and which way we are going - that was decided in the end by the guy behind the wheel, the guy who is doing the work of driving. And so far, we haven’t had to deal with any what if’s.

Nearing the end of this year’s trip and all the planning it involved, reminds me of the trip we make to heaven if we decide to accept Jesus as our Saviour and Lord. We all leave at different times on our trip. Many of us disagree on which way is the best way to get there, although we all have the same starting point. That is, faith in Jesus as God’s Son who died on the cross to forgive us from our sin and who has gone to prepare a room for each of us in His Father’s house. Many of us, once we’re on our journey handle the what if’s that crop up, in many different ways. It does seem, however, that most of us agree that this life is too short, and that if we were to do it again, we would let Jesus take control a lot earlier than we did the first time around.

We are all on a journey. And one day we will arrive at our eternal destination. It doesn’t really matter when we left. It doesn’t really matter how many detours or side routes we take in getting there. It doesn’t even really matter if we agree on how to handle the what if’s that confront us. What does matter is that when we sit at the banqueting table with the Lord, we will enjoy something which can’t be bought for any price here on this earth. We will taste of the new wine reserved for those whose robes are white as snow, washed in the blood of the Lamb, covered by grace and wrapped in love.

I’m looking forward to getting home, . . . forever. How about you?