The Next Stop Along the Way

When I was ten years old, my family went on a rare vacation to Disney World. We drove from Pittsburgh to Florida. It took us two and a half days to get there because my parents planned stops to see some amazing local points of interest along the way, among them—the tallest waterfall in country. We eventually made it to our destination and Disney was, as expected, a child’s heaven on earth, even way back in the 70s. In many ways, life is like that childhood journey to Disney.

My life here on earth is a journey with a much greater destination than Disney (no offense Walt). And like that childhood venture, my life is a series of stops along the way to experience amazing things. Instead of stopping at a place to see a tourist attraction though, I am hesitating in a moment of time to see the person I’ve become over a period of time. The New Year is an obvious stop on my journey.

When I look back to the start of 2016, I realize how much I’ve grown in some areas and perhaps neglected to grow in others. I’ve become a healthier person, becoming more active, exercising, eating better, losing weight, and putting behind me a toxic situation. When I started this particular part of my life journey (2016) I chose a word for the year—healthier. It was my goal, my destination if you will, my rally cry as I moved forward through the year.

So now it’s 2017 and I need to move towards a new destination. I plan to keep my goal of healthier because, while I’ve come a long way, I still have a long way to go. While my physical health has improved, my spiritual health has  suffered. That doesn’t work for me so while I continue in my efforts to become physically healthy, I plan to concentrate on becoming spiritually healthier in 2017. In one year, when I look back on where this new destination will take me, I expect to be surprised and amazed at where God has taken me on this journey to be closer to him and more actively involved in his work. That’s a journey worth taking.