Bring Only A Carry-On...And Don't Forget Your Toothbrush

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao-tzu 

 

Sometimes it is thrilling to plan a long trip to a far away destination.  I love to dream about the exotic places I will get to see one day.  Most of the time it is fun to grab an over night bag, throw in a change of clothes...and your toothbrush...and just get away for the day or weekend. 

 

Some of my favorite trips are weekend getaways or local day trips.  Even though they only last for a day or maybe two they build memories that last a lifetime.  I still smile when I think about a day trip I took quite a few years ago to Cannon Beach with a couple of friends.  We went during the week and there was absolutely no one else there. We had the place to ourselves. We laid in the sun for hours on this old shabby quilt I had.  We listened to the waves, laughed and talked and then drove home that same night.  It was a quick trip but I can still feel the hot sun, remember those friends that I do not get to see very often and remember how completely content I felt that day.  My photo albums (well lets just say my drawers) are full of pictures of many other short trips I have taken over the years with family and friends.  They always put a smile on my face.   

 

While that memory and many others put smiles on my face, my travels to worthiness often bring me pain and sorrow.  I often feel like I have been walking for a thousand miles.  I get worn down, battered by the elements and there are days I want to plop my suitcase down and just sit there and feel sorry for myself.  I especially want to do this when I feel rejected by yet another guy or I look in the mirror and wonder how those extra pounds came on so quickly. When these or other negative circumstances or thoughts come flooding back again I can feel like I have not even started my journey.  It feels like I am right back where I started.

These last few days and weeks God has been showing me just how far I have come.  Even though I still have moments of feeling unworthy, I have also been experiencing a quiet peace and find myself resting in the knowledge that I am ok.  Not because my circumstances have changed (I am still single and still want to have rock hard abs).  But my thinking is changing.  God has reminded me of the small steps I have taken over the last few years.  I have prayed for Him to heal me of unworthiness and He is.  It has not happened all at once but through every choice I have made to walk towards significance.  Some of these choices have been extremely hard while others have seemed really very small.  God giving me this revelation has encouraged me to keep walking.  I may take a step back but then I can just take another forward or maybe even take two.

Remember - "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."  When you have completed one step take those dirty clothes from the past, put them in your over night bag, put the clean ones on, brush those teeth and set out on your journey again - one prayer, one choice, and one step at a time.