Over the past days, we have driven many miles, traveling with no real destination set.  All we decided was the direction we were to travel—North.  The days have brought us some adventure as I sat in the passenger seat, with paper atlas in hand, marking with my finger and then my yellow highlighter, the roads we were to take.  Often, we drove long miles, seeing the differing territory, places we have never been, and oftentimes we have stopped to stretch our legs and take in the small towns, the sights, the sounds, and the majestic shore line.

One particular place we stopped had canals running through it, one with several bridges crossing over, providing walkway paths from here to there.  Traverse City—quite an appropriate name for this city.  The canals were too small and narrow for ships to pass, and the only oars noted were those held by the kayak occupants who paddled slowly by. I find it quite ironic how we “traversed” through on our way to the Upper Peninsula.

While there, yes, I needed to stop and take many photos, enjoying the charm and sensing the similarities found between the settlers who settled there and the sensibilities found in my heart.  You see, we know America was settled by our ancestors, the Europeans, so we really should not be surprised whenever we see commonalities between the two lands.  On our journey to the north, the territory reminded me so much of places in Europe I have been blessed to see, places settled by the Irish, Dutch and Welsh.

Thus, on this final morning of our holiday, I find myself looking back at the photos, memories, and miles traversed, asking questions that pertain to our holiday, but more importantly to our lives.

• Have you ever looked back on a holiday taken and noticed how quickly the terrain changes as the miles passed?  &
• Have you ever paused to look at your life (as I have) and noticed how quickly it is passing?
• Should we see the varying landscape, noting how it changes with each mile?  &
• Should we notice how quickly the daily lives we are living vary with each changing life-event?
• Do you and I take holidays, seeing how the time passed as we watched the speedometer rack of miles traveled?  &
• Do we pause to contemplate how much time has passed in relation to the number of days that may remain?
• Are we witnessing the changing scenery as we travel?
• Are we joining in the cloud of witnesses who have gone before us, laying aside our sin, running the race He has given us individually to run, and fixing our eyes on Jesus as we traverse through life?

All of these questions are not designed to make us sad about our holiday being over OR about our life passing by.  No, that’s not the intent, but instead to help us consider what it is that we are choosing to do within this life we have been given.

It is a fact that we have been gifted with an earthly tent, a dwelling place, to live.  Everyone is gifted the same in this way, but some have chosen to accept Jesus into their hearts and some have not.  If so (if Jesus resides in a person’s heart), then this dwelling (this earthly tent) houses the Holy Spirit of God, and as we “traverse” through life, we are to keep our eyes fixed on Him.  The Old Testament speaks of this and reminds us of Who will ultimately judge that which we have done while living within this tent.  We have been allotted a certain “number” of days we are blessed to walk this earth and we have been graced with a certain “number” of people we are blessed to encounter as we pass through our earthly days.  Most importantly, it is the LORD who will judge what we decide to do within our days and with those we pass by as we go.  Pause to read with me God’s Word.

• Miles Traversed.
• Holidays Taken.
• Life Lived.
• Lives Changed.
• Blessings Received.

Where the ultimate blessing received remains—New Life & Forgiveness through Him—because God’s presence within us, in our earthly tent, blesses us during both good and bad times of life.  It is Jesus who fulfilled His Work on the cross and in the grave the covenant.  It is those who traversed through life before us, who left a witness for us to see and celebrate.