Making it Home

I am often reminded that none of us have arrived at a destination.  We are all still on the road that leads us to a place still not seen.  Such is the nature of the journey of faith. As was the case with the enslaved Hebrews on the road to the Promised Land, sometimes the journey is far more round about than anyone would have imagined.  But, when we stop and reflect on where we are in our spiritual journey, we know that the faith journey is not like getting a one way non stop ticket from point A to point B.  If we were the trip planner, we most likely would have left out some of the detours and side roads which stretch behind us.

While I have not come to any place which is so radically different than so many others, I still stand amazed that God has stuck with me through the whole of the journey.  Had I been God I would have given up on me a long time ago.  I would have let me not only choose a dead end road, but I would have left me there to stew in my wrong choice.  I started out with Peter like determination, but have messed up more than his recorded three times. 

As I reflect on this journey of faith which has stretched out for nearly a life time, I am most grateful to the One who invited me to start out.  I am grateful that the One with whom I have traveled is a grace giving God who is long on patience and slow to anger.  I am grateful He has stayed with me.  I am grateful because I know had He not persisted in sticking with me, I would have never made it this far down the road and I would have long ago given up any hope that one day I would make it home.