On The Road Again!

As you read this I will be in San Marcos of the Dominican Republic sharing life and love and the Lord with our brothers and sisters on that island south of us. I will also be sharing those delicious avocado sandwiches made right from the tree in front of Pastor Jose Pena’s home. So even though I am leaving home, in a way I am going home. My oldest daughter Leah now teaches 1st Grade and lives in Santiago of that little country and so it literally means that when I go now, I am truly with family!
I think that if you live long enough, you discover that there are little pieces of your heart planted all over the place. I can tell you that while I have never left my heart in San Francisco, there are huge chunks of it in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Malaysia, Russia, Australia and Mexico as well as right here in Cape May County, New Jersey!
I guess that is why I am constantly homesick, and always a bit restless to finally be home. I know that the panging in my spirit will never go fully away this side of Heaven. It is only when I arrive safely to God’s house will every part of me finally be put back together and reunited. Until then, as we travel to and fro, we might as well invest our entire hearts into those blessed others that the Lord has planted around us. It is like the tickets at the amusement park. They aren’t worth very much unless you hand them in and get in line to take that ride of your life! It is all about relationships.
On that note, I would like to share with you a piece that was handed to me by a dear woman named Doris Fisher. She writes about a family who has been on the road with Jesus. She also knows the joy of the music that fills a life when you allow God to play the radio. Doris writes:
“We’re on the homeward trail, singing, and singing, everybody singing. We’re on the homeward trail. After several weeks of being on their best behavior when visiting churches, being cramped in the station wagon on the go, squeezed in the camper at night, this missionary couple, with their quiver of children was finally heading south of the border and home. They were taking turns recalling their experiences.
‘Mommy, that giant jar of peanut butter and all that grape jelly that lady gave us will make hundreds of sandwiches that we will be able to feed the hungry street people with.’
‘Boy, I sure had my fill of hot dogs and burgers at all the barbeques. But the one fun treat was when they had cooked the crabs for us to pick and eat right off of the newspaper tablecloths!’
‘Mommy wasn’t that church nice that invited us into their missionary’s closet and told us that we could take anything we wanted! They had lots of kids’ toys too!’
‘Daddy, I hope we can put these sombreros away soon when we get home.’
‘Daddy, remember when that nice man shook your hand and slipped a hundred dollar bill into it? What a great surprise!’
Pulling a camper behind the station wagon was cumbersome. When someone helped them out and shared of a short-cut to save some traveling time, they sure welcomed it. It took them to what was a rather deserted area with no people around and no traffic to be seen, very dusty with much overgrowth all along the road. But homeward bound they were. When the father who was driving began speeding up hoping for clear cruising just around the bend, out of the corner of his eye he noticed a weed fluttering in the breeze. It had a red ribbon caught in it. All of a sudden, God immediately stopped their car. The dad jumped out to check and see what was going on. He saw a bridge over a river. That trestle might have been strong at one time, but now it was damaged, breached and impassable. It was a real disaster waiting to happen.
One of the children cried out, ‘Daddy, God used a red ribbon to save our family today just like the Bible story about Rahab. Her family too was saved from dying because of a red ribbon that she had put in her window.’
And the family went on singing, singing, everybody singing Jesus loves me this I know.”
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. And as we travel lots this week, we are covering more than just miles. We are writing new stories and creating new memories leaving a legacy wherever we have been. If you remember, say a prayer, not just for safety but for God stories that forever changes the destinies of tomorrow and even the songs we choose to sing today. Thanks Doris! Thanks Readers! God Bless you as you blaze your trails!