Whom Can You Invite On Your Journey?

Friend of Jonathan

Meet Jonathan. He is a very large and cumbersome tortoise from India. He’s proud to hold the longest living land creature record yet at 250 years old. A true achievement! Of course, he has nothing on some of his cousins from the sea. The Ocean Quahog--a type of edible clam from the North Atlantic--survives about 507 years. These ancient marvels can make us feel like toddlers.      

Common creatures we know better and love, like the fashionable ladybug who crawls through just two to three years, our favorite furry kitten or lovable puppy who live thirteen to eighteen years respectively, or the magnificent horse that lives to nearly thirty years, can all leave us with the sound of creaking joints!

Let’s Travel

What these living critters and creatures don’t have to worry about is building a life that will sustain them through heartache, disasters, and upsets. Our human situations are much more difficult. We’ve had to deal with trying to renovate a life left in shambles; to negotiate what we have, where we are going, and when things will happen. There’s been good and not-so-good days. But we found enough resilience to make it through more than we ever imagined.

Now we arrive intact in new territory. Without a doubt, we can step off that emotional train and breathe in a whole new way to do things. There is no reason not to trust our instincts that brought us to this point. We can move ahead and begin with confidence. The old suitcases of fears and insecurities were purposely left behind. They aren’t needed any longer.

We Have Choices

Now the question is: what do we do with the rest of our lives? There have been those who simply give up and never find a life of satisfaction and happiness. They spend their days walking around shrugging their shoulders, living in their pajamas, and not taking responsibility for their own destination. This sad and empty existence can go on until the end of their lives.

Just reading this is an indication we haven’t given up in any way, shape, or form. We fought for the right to create our own life full of attainable goals, dreams, and new adventures. There are enough ways to do this to fill a library. Getting out there and discovering the best choice for each of us is half the fun. Just never quit! Remember:

The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn. --Ralph Waldo Emerson

Who Holds Your Ticket?

There are numerous and unique ways to physically reach our potential. Inside, we can add to our joy through spending time with good friends, keeping ourselves healthy and energetic, and building relationships that are full of love, acceptance and forgiveness.

None of the physical or emotional pathways we can find, however, will lead anywhere without the supportive and merciful love of the One True God, who holds the ticket to our next journey. He’s anxious to welcome us!

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 1 John 4:11-12 (NLT)