Enjoy the Journey

A few weeks back, people were asked to call into a radio station to which we listen and share advice from their parents that had stuck with them and affected their life. I heard a few grown children share their memories and began to think of my own. There is one phrase that really comes to mind. It is something I heard from both my Mom and my Dad and it is something that they had to remind me over and over again- even into my adult years.

"Enjoy the journey,"

and always following right after was this Bible verse,

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."

Proverbs 3:5-6

I heard this when I went off to college, when I stressed over grades or boys, when I graduated, when I worked two minimum wage jobs and still barely squeaked by, when Drew and I were engaged, when we married, when we announced we were pregnant, when I complained about the Army life, when friends seemed scarce, with each move we made and when news of deployment became a reality.

It sounds like a simple thing and there were times, when I was simply being told to "take a breath, relax and let go" of all the little details that were weighing me down. However over the years, it has really settled in and as I look at the words now, I know it holds so much more weight than simply, "breath, relax, release."

Enjoy- My parents never told me to go and be happy, and I'll be honest- I would be shocked if they had. More than that, I'm glad and ever so grateful that happiness was never their wish for me. No, my parents never mentioned happiness; instead they told me to "enjoy." There are many times in life when I am not pleased or happy about my circumstances- when I feel the burden, struggles and pain of this life pressing down upon me with the weight of world. Instead of encouraging me to seek out happiness, my parents took those times of unhappiness to remind me- both verbally and through memories- to enjoy. Lately I have thought of it as "living in joy," and for me, joy is not something that is dependent upon my emotions or my circumstances. Joy is dependent on Christ- His love, His grace, His faithfulness- and who I am in His eyes. No matter what I face, I can enjoy life because I am a child of God and He is my Heavenly Father; I am a failure on my own but I am a victor through Christ.

The Journey- We walk through this life with many roads and destinations to reach, but it is often in those mundane moments of everyday, the small choices, that some of our greatest acts and lasting impressions are made. The special events are sweet and such a treat, but my life is carried out each day- in our morning routine, the making of meals, the washing of dishes, the cleaning and errands, the silly songs and serious talks, the full days and the quiet evenings- and in each of those moments, I am given the chance to choose joy and share of myself. The tasks may seem trivial but the work and the walk can often hold the deepest joy and the most meaningful moments.

Proverbs 3:5-6- Of course, I can hardly consider the phrase "Enjoy the Journey" without thinking of Proverbs 3:5-6 and for me, that is only fitting. For how can I enjoy this often crazy, unpredictable, chaotic road I am on, if not for the trust I have in the One who I have asked to guide my feet? My own feet, when led by my own understanding, have often taken me into tough, painful, and even shameful situations, but it is God who has led me through and out of them to a place of peace and rest.  

So as I look ahead, preparing for tomorrow and on to the next phase in my life and my family's, I will live in joy while on this journey, knowing I can trust Him who is faithful to guide me in and through each celebration and sorrow, each sprint and stumble and every other step along the way.