Journey

I have always considered life to be a journey.  It isn't about arriving at a destination but about the continual journey.  If life is about the destination, what happens when we get "there"?   I don't know what the "there" is in my life as it continually changes.  New "there's" are found as I grow, learn and discover more of who God is, who I am and who He created me to be, 

Life is not always easy, it has highs and lows, challenges and rewards.  There are times when we feel like nothing can stop us and yet at other times it appears as if the whole world is working against us and trying to hold us back.  

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Like most people, my life journey had highs and the lows.  

Early on in life my father passed away (I was 4) due to cancer.  The day before my 14th birthday, my mother called our home to let us know that my Opa had passed away overnight.  Dealing with these losses and absences affected me then and continues to have implications on my life even now.

After graduating high school I was faced with the struggle that many teens are faced with: what now?  I took the year off from school and worked at my church.  It was during that year that I felt that God was leading me towards pastoral work.  

I headed to Calgary and started my education towards a pastoral degree focusing on youth work.  During those four years of working on my degree, I had two car accidents while also discovering burnout from overworking and failing to keep life in balance.  

Upon graduating, I made a deal with God that I would work in a church anywhere south of Red Deer.  This seemed reasonable to ask as it would allow me to still be relatively close to my family in Medicine Hat.  God's hearing must have been broken that day as all he heard was anywhere in Alberta.  God has a sense of humor and I ended up moving to Edmonton to live among all the misguided people who cheer for the Oilers and Eskimos (I tried to help many of them see the light but that was very challenging and I never saw any transformation despite my efforts).  

I enjoyed my work and the life I was able to live in Edmonton. The youth I worked with were amazing and all the memories of that work still bring a smile to my face.  Our yearly trips to East Hastings, retreats, playing the game sticks, meeting weekly to learn from the Bible and of course dark games at the church (my favorite was when I had the cordless microphone and I spooked the kids out as they heard me talk to them over the speakers clueless as to my hiding spot).  

My group of friends was amazing.  We would hang out for weekly wing nights, enjoyed watching Survivor at the Reids (I still remember Reid iced tea and their special popcorn), trips to Chris' cabin and other road trips. I discovered my love of travel with trips to Michigan, California and Germany.  

Life was good! As far as I could tell that trajectory would carry on into the next decade of life.  

I was excited for the newfound number at the front of my age.  Being in the 20's was great but I was ready for something new.  

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Many of us live our lives in isolation from others.  When things are good we are free to interact and be among others.  When the crap hits the fan we isolate ourselves and withdraw from civilization.  For some our reason for withdrawal is that we don't want to burden others with our pain yet for others it is in being around others that we are reminded of our pain and so avoiding others becomes easier and a way of numbing life's realities.

My 30's were not what I would have expected.  We all know that we can't dictate what the journey ahead will be like.  

My plan is to post a reflection on my journey a couple of times a week. 

Looking back, I learned a lot during the decade and feel that what I learned is important to share with others for multiple reasons:

1) I personally want to remember the life lessons I learned. Writing this is a way for me to look back on my journey, at all that I grew through, was stretched by, the challenges I faced, the victories won and the many blessings along the way.

2) We are not meant to live in isolation.  We are meant to do life in relationship with others.  I made it though the decade because of the support of others.  This blog is a shout out to all those lives that overlapped my life...whether that was for a short period of time or for the whole 10 years.  It was because of those relationships that I found support, encouragement, a kick in the butt when needed and the love needed to navigate my way through the thirties.  

3) Because our lives intersect with others, we need the support of others as part of our own journeys.  I don't know who will read this (if anyone at all) but I am trusting that my own experiences will be of encouragement to some and a positive challenge or help for some as they face they navigate their own life journey.  I pray that from my own story that others will also find hope.

4) I am able to write this today because God is good.  That truth has been a foundational truth that has been present throughout my life.  This journey is not about me but about God's goodness and continual presence with me.  

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