Jan 20, 2009

Not the Goal...

So, I've been learning a WHOLE lot recently about the fact that I'm supposed to be focused on my journey not the end Goal.. I mean that's important, but equally as important is the journey that gets me there. Which, if you think about it makes sense... if I reach my goal but don't remember, don't care to remember or simply view the journey as insignificant... then the goal loses most if not all of its meaning.

Think about it.. when you run a marathon (not that I ever have.. or ever will unless a gun is to my head!) the finish line is nice.. but not AMAZING if I don't also remember how hard I trained, ran, worked out, the steps I took to prepare make the finish line irreplaceabley (word?) sweet.

I mean, think about it, in every day life, the things you have to work so hard to achieve are the things you are the most proud of.. the things you want to show off.. the things you are consumed with, and then find yourself constantly talking about.

So, why would my walk with God be any different? Why would I want to skip all the things that make it so much sweeter? Doesn't really make a whole lot of sense...

I love the fact that the things in my past that I HATED and were incredibly difficult while I was going through, the truly rough times, those are the most beneficial in the long run. Like working 4 part time jobs while going to school full time.. or trying to function and go to school and succeed and do well, while also fighting a headache for months and months that the doctors couldn't cure or figure out.. Those things help my determination, help me to encourage others, remind me that it's too hard to do alone regardless of what my instinctive reaction is. Those things help me to be so incredibly thankful for where I am now.. I mean seriously virtually daily I am amazed at how... easy life is currently compared to various points in my life (which also has me preparing to go through hard times again).. But, I realize that so much of that time I was trying to do it on my own... and it usually wasn't until I gave up.. broke down and cried (literally) then cried out to God that it would almost instantly get better.. I'd begin seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

It's things like that that make me wonder how in the world people do life on their own and choose to ignore God. I don't know where they find purpose, hope or the ability to bounce back.. All of those things come from God for me.. So, while I know I sound incredibly stupid and sheltered, I can't help it. I don't ever remember a time not believing in my savior.. exactly like I don't ever remember a time where I couldn't talk (and my earliest memory I was a year in half old!)... In fact, I remember my mom asking me when I was 2 if I wanted to believe in Jesus... I remember I was standing between her legs when she was sitting down, and her knees came almost to my armpits and I was leaning over her leg on my right side... :)

That is also why I hate movies with bad endings.. cause regardless of how I die, you die, anyone dies.. as Christians it is built into us that in the end.. we win. The good guys succeed. Good will ultimately prevail over evil. So, when a movie shows something other than that.. it doesn't resonate with me and it feels wrong.. like the story shouldn't be over yet..

So, my ending thought is, what are you ignoring in your journey today that you might need tomorrow?

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