Roadtrip of Life

I remember driving from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Hillsboro, Oregon. What an interesting drive it was. There were areas and stretches of beautiful scenery and then there were stretches of nothing. There were mountains, waterfalls, and plateaus. There was also dry land, yellow grass, and corn. The drive had plenty of emotion as well. It had anxiety over the rainstorm in the mountains of Idaho and boredom across the plains of North Dakota. The ride was filled stress while getting lost in a random city trying to find somewhere to eat. And laughter as we thought about how we packed our van so full to the brim that there was only enough space for each of my children to have their little compartment/apartment in the backseat. They were cozy but if you would’ve seen it you would be laughing too. The entire experience was great. I learned a lot about my family and about myself. When you pick up and leave the comfort of your home town to an unknown place with only $1500 to your name its scary. But God was with us the whole way.

This journey reminds me of the christian experience. We all start in an emotional, psychological, and spiritual place. Some start in harder places than others. Others start farther along than others. But we all start somewhere when we first encounter Jesus. Then Jesus calls us to leave the comfort of our mindsets, habits, and behaviors and calls us into a love relationship where we are accountable for our actions and reactions to life. (That alone can take a while to get used to.) But He calls us to pack up and leave the past behind and start something new, something amazing. And day by day we go about living and trying to live a real authentic christian experience built on trust, love, and honesty. And just like my drive to Oregon from Milwaukee it is a heck of a journey. Filled with many ups and what feels like many more downs. The anxiety of finances or the pressure of work. The fights with our spouse to developing and maintaining a relationship with our friends. The list goes on and on of the things that humans are to deal with on the day to day. What makes this journey worth it is the destination. The destination is heaven with our Lord and Savior. Be encouraged because we are almost home. This week I will be talking about this journey of life. Where we all start and where we will all be finishing. I’ll give you a hint. This journey begins with faith and ends with love. Join us this Sabbath, hope to see you there.

Connected to the Vine,

Pastor Victor Reina