The start of summer often means - well its time - for a road trip! Whether it is a short trip from a small town to a big city for the weekend, a coast-to-coast marathon to see part of Canada in a small over-packed car, or a backpacking Euro-rail adventure - which ever it is - a road trip is often an adventure - and maybe even a first step in finding our own unique life path.
No matter our age, adults and the aged, there is nothing like a road trip to get us out of our familiar, comfortable ruts, and give us a new perspective on the world. Yet road trips don't come with guarantees of safety and success. Road trips come with potholes and pitfalls, genuine dangers, and encounters with the unknown and unpredictable.
In the Gospel of today - Luke 9- 51-62 Jesus starts off on the ultimate road trip — his journey to Jerusalem and to the cross. The world views this journey as the epitome of a "bad trip” — a trip that ended in Jesus' betrayal, rejection, torture, and death. But Jesus' disciples — whether in the first century or the twenty-first century — view this Jerusalem road trip as something quite different: the start of a great journey that transformed the life paths of all subsequent generations who have followed Jesus.
But here is the question - if you knew that your road trip would end in what the world would think is failure - would you go on it ? If you knew that your road trip would conclude with the termination of your life - would you engage in it ? If you were aware that your road trip would mean sacrifice, surrender, and so called death - would you be prone to begin it ? Yet Christ did - so why - I think for two reasons - and these two reasons should guide our summer
1. Christ knew the Father had a plan
Several times in scripture we hear it references that Jesus had His faced set toward Jerusalem. He was pointed in the direction of the Father. He was determined to walk the way of the Father. He was open to who He met, but toward the way of the Father is where He must go. Over and over Jesus does good in town after town, but He does not rest on His accomplishments, He presses on because toward Jerusalem He must go ! This has only one explanation - because He believed the Father was sending Him there for a reason.
As the road trip of summer begins for you
- do you believe that God Has something He wishes to show you
- do you consent that God Has as plan for the next several months for you
- do you concur that though schools are closed, summer hours begin in many places, routine slows, pace ponders a bit more - that God is still at work - full time - every day ?
Is your face still set toward His will for your life ?
But here is the second thing that guided Christ - and us should guide us also - I call it M.T.C.
2. Make Today Count
Jesus knew where He was going - the destination of the road trip was clear - faithfulness to the Father was the GPS direction and the Jersusalem the home port. So Jesus went about each day - MTCing - He Made Today Count.
- He feed those who needing feeding
- He healed those who needing healing
- He taught those who needed teaching
- He embraced those who needed embracing
- He scolded those who needed scolding
- He touched those who needed touching
- His destination was set - His path was firm - His will was certain
- His determination was concrete = His will was iron
He didn’t worry about so many of the things we worry about; because His Mission was set. Jesus just had to be faithful; and so He Made Today Count; and truth be told; that is all we need to do too. Toward the conclusion of being who the Father was calling Him to be - that was the road trip
What a road trip we would have this summer - if we MTC’ed it all summer long !
Make today count - have a picnic lunch with your spouse, child, grandchild
Make today count - go for a walk in the evening with someone important in your life
Make today count - break that diet and have a scoop of ice cream with your child, grandchild
Make today count - run around in the park, playground - sure your muscles will hurt tomorrow but your memory will say - yes I’m glad we did that
I hope your road trip this summer will be amazing - and it can be - if like Jesus you simply do two things:
Trust that the Father has a plan - so don’t sweat the small stuff
Make Today Count