We are always in a hurry to get to our destination; have we ever stopped and wondered why we are always in a hurry? We get annoyed or angry at the obstacles that get in our way; even if it’s people, especially if it’s people. For whatever reason, we believe that we have to be in the shortest line in the grocery store; the fastest moving lane on the highway and we have to take the shortest route to our destination. Why is this? Is it really that urgent to get to our destination that we can’t even see the people or creation along the way? Years ago I was listening to a friend that shared that she wanted to go back to school but her kids commented that she was too old and she probably wouldn’t be able to finish. The Holy Spirit prompted me to share with her that life is not just about getting to the destination, it’s about our experiences along the journey. I believe that this is true about our lives; however, it is important to know that we have ‘nailed it down’ with God and that we will be with Him in Heaven when our journey on earth is through. What’s so wrong with slowing down, stepping into the long line at the store; pulling into the slow lane on the highway and taking the long way to your destination, once in awhile? Isn’t our life a journey and not a destination?

The other day I was reading a devotion that talked about how the Israelite people gathered stones from the river basin to build a memorial so that when their children asked about what the stones were for they could share of how God parted the water to save their lives and His great provision for them. This led me to stop and consider the journey that I have been on to my destination. This thought process led me to consider what memorial stones I would compile of my own journey. Because there were 12 Israelite tribes and they gathered 12 stones, I chose to consider 12 Journey Stones of my own.

1-Marriage. God is always present and working in my marriage; and consequently, me.

2-Perseverance. It has taken God’s strength to persevere through the hills and valleys of life. And perseverance pays off.

3-Fear. I have lived with so much fear in my life; that is until God started loving me out of these fears. As Scripture tells us, “perfect love casts out fear.”

4-Wisdom & Knowledge. God’s word and my life experiences have taught me so much and I am so thankful for the wisdom and knowledge I have gained.

5-Loss. Even though I wish that I could have gone my life without experiencing the loss of my mom and my son, I have been Blessed by God and others through these events. I am grateful for God’s love and compassion through these difficult times.

6-Mountains. God has shown me the depths of His creation and majesty through His mountains. It is overwhelming to comprehend the vastness of the mountains (the oceans as well) just as it is for us to comprehend the vastness and depth of God.

7-Freedom. Jesus is freedom. His love and sacrifice is freedom. Life with Him is freedom.

8-Avoidance. I developed avoidance as a way to cope with the difficult things of life; God has helped me to be free; almost completely, of this dysfunctional way to deal with such things in life.

9-Strength. God has given me strength to walk through even the most difficult things in my life. God is so good!

10-Confidence. With freedom, comes confidence.

11-Peace. I have a peace that can only be explained, ‘God.’

12-Love. I can love because God first loved me. He is love!

I share my own journey stones with you as a way to hopefully get you to slow down and consider your own journey and the ways that you can see God’s Mighty Hand at work in your life. Thank you for sharing this time with me! I pray that you take the time to slow down and enjoy your journey because that is when real peace can reach you.

Blessings!