Journey

“There's no journey like a shared one.” ~ When Hope Calls Christmas

    

   According to Merriam-Webster, a journey is an act or instance of traveling from one place to another. I don't know about you but I like to travel and I enjoy sharing the experience with my family and friends.

 I'm not talking about a vacation, for instance though; I'm talking about the journey we call life. Our journey begins the day we are born and ends when we die, at least for our bodies it ends. As we grow so does our independence, and depending on what hand we are dealt life is easy as a child or difficult. We begin to learn how to navigate this world with the help of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, teachers, coaches, and friends. 

    This journey that we are on isn’t easy and we need people on every leg of this journey. As I mentioned earlier, in the first leg of this journey we are surrounded by people who love us and do their best to guide and support us as we figure out life. As we enter the next leg of our journey, the baton is passed from family to friends as we become more independent from the adults who took care of us, and surround ourselves with friends who “get us”. Our friends on this part of our journey can help make us or break us. The people we allow in our lives are just as important as the people that we keep out of our lives. The choices we make as teenagers and young adults have a lasting impact whether we realize it or not.

    The baton is passed off to our significant other for the next leg of the journey and we begin to realize that life is not a sprint, but a marathon. The pace and stride we take begin to slow and lengthen as we make big life choices. When do we get married? How quickly do we want to start a family? Do we buy a house or rent? Is this the right career path? With all those decisions to make life can be overwhelming, especially if we choose to go at it alone. 

    Community is an important part of surviving the journey. We need like-minded people who share our beliefs and will listen to our struggles, and help us celebrate our successes. We also need people in our lives who won’t always be on our side. We need people who question us. People who won’t just go along with what we say and do, but make us stop and think about what we are doing and why we are doing it. Can I challenge you here? Intentionally seek someone who is different than you and befriend them. 

    Take this journey in stride. Allow people in your life. Seek God and ask him to show you who should be in your circle. Remember Jesus loved everyone but had a small circle of friends and an even smaller group that he knew he could rely on. Jesus had Judas in his small circle of friends, so it’s to be expected that we will have a Judas or two as well. We will face conflicts with people because we aren’t perfect and we shouldn’t expect others to be. We need to be like Jesus and love others for who they are not who we want them to be.

    I’ve always had a community that surrounds me, but I haven’t always accepted it. Acceptance. We have to accept that others want to be in our lives. We have to accept that not everyone we want to be in our lives needs to be in our lives. We have to accept that God will put people in our lives that we don’t necessarily want in our lives, but they turn out to be just the person we need for that leg of our journey. No matter the leg of the journey we are on, we should build and strengthen our community, serve and love others, and gain one more for the Kingdom of God.

    As this year comes to a close, and the new year begins I want to focus on the people that God has put in my circle. I want to create a community of people that I can enjoy this journey with. I’m not going to sit back and just be, I’m going to open the gift of life each day, and spread some cheer along the way. I will keep you posted as to how this new leg of my journey goes. Here’s to living life BIG, making changes to be better, allowing others into my circle, and sharing Jesus’ love with as many people as I can. When my journey on this earth ends I want to hear on the other side, “Good job my good and faithful servant. You ran the race well.”

Why The Donkey?

 I’ve been preparing room in my heart for Jesus this season. Today, as I was reading my devotional, my thoughts shifted from Jesus’ birth to the animal thought to carry Mary to Bethlehem and Jesus to Jerusalem. Yes, I’m talking about the donkey. I couldn’t help but think about Donkey from Shrek when I pictured the donkey, but after a quick giggle, my thoughts returned to Mary, Joseph, and their journey to Bethlehem. Donkeys are supposedly very stubborn, so why the donkey? What is the significance of Mary riding a donkey to deliver the savior of the world? 

Here’s a little tidbit that I found out about donkeys while digging to see why Joseph would put Mary on a stubborn donkey. These little guys are cute, but did you know they can weigh up to 500 pounds? Donkeys are used as pack animals; meaning that they carry goods for their owners. These animals tend to get a bad reputation for being stubborn when in all actuality they are cautious. They will stop and assess the situation when they sense they are in danger. The donkey refuses to move even when its owner tries to get it to move until it feels safe, hence the perception of stubbornness. Could it be that the donkey was the safest and most trustworthy animal to ride; especially for Mary who was nine months pregnant with the savior of the world?

The donkey prefers to walk, not run because it is very cautious about its steps and is acutely aware of its surroundings. This seemingly stubborn animal is actually not stubborn but an overthinker of sorts. I can picture the donkey plodding along the trail carrying Mary on its back being sure to not stumble. The awareness and pace of a donkey indicate that it was the perfect animal for Mary to ride for her journey to Bethlehem. 

The donkey was tasked to carry Mary to Bethelem so she could give birth to our Savior who to this day is still misunderstood. The takeaway from what I’ve learned from my tangent on donkeys is they are misunderstood; therefore they have a reputation for being stubborn and not an animal that people want to be around. I believe if you talk to someone who owns and understands a donkey they will tell you that they are loveable creatures that are simply misunderstood. 

Jesus was misunderstood, but those who spent time with him while he was on this earth realized he was something special. I don’t feel right comparing Jesus to a donkey, but it’s hard for me to not make this connection. The donkey is misunderstood and comes across as rebellious and stubborn to someone who doesn’t understand the creature. When the donkey is more reliable and trustworthy than a horse when it comes to carrying something important. Jesus seemed rebellious to the Pharisees and Sadducees, but he was the most trustworthy of all men. Jesus was carrying with him the message of hope and redemption, but he was most definitely misunderstood. 

I’m not sure of the significance of the donkey, and the last thing I want to do is make something out of nothing especially when it comes to the Bible. I’m not a theologian nor do I claim to know all the symbolism throughout the Bible. I hope this gave you some food for thought. I have a few more questions to leave you with as you ponder the significance of the donkey. How can we be more like a donkey? No, I don’t mean stubborn, as my family will tell you I’m already good in that department. How about being more trustworthy, and doing things in a calculated way that may seem odd to others but brings glory to God? After all, as Christians, we should stand out. Blessings to you my friends!

Laughter

          I’m not sure if there is anything sweeter than hearing a baby belly laugh. Their laughter instantly puts a smile on my face and puts me in a better mood. How many times a day do we laugh as adults? When was the last time you had a good laugh? You know, the laugh that has tears rolling down your cheeks, and you’re about to pee your pants. For most people, I would be willing to bet it’s been a while. We’ve all heard the old saying, “Laughter is the best medicine,” so if a simple smile can make you feel better, think what a good laugh can do. Laughter really is good for the soul.

            According to Paul Osincup, a humor strategist, "Research shows that at about the age of 23, our propensity to laugh begins to evaporate, we have more responsibilities.” With this being the case, most of us lose our sense of humor early in life and spend the majority of life not laughing. We become so serious and wrapped up in life that we forget to slow down, laugh, and enjoy the little things in life. There are many benefits to laughter, and the one that stands out to me is the reduction of stress. 

            Not only does laughter reduce stress, but it helps your mental health too. In a world where our mental health is on the decline I believe it’s important to remember what we can do to help improve or maintain our mental health. Laughter doesn’t cost a thing and can be done throughout our day. Laugh…go ahead, smile… Now think of something funny and laugh. Again, I ask, how many times a day do you truly laugh? 

            I work with a great group of ladies and we laugh daily. I honestly can’t remember a day so far this school year that we haven’t laughed. I’m also blessed to have a husband who likes to make me laugh, which means I laugh at home as well. There are times that he will do something or say something that I don’t laugh at, but then I end up laughing because I know it really is funny; I’m just being a stick in the mud. 

            We need to allow ourselves to laugh, relax and live in peace. We need to prioritize the things that are good for our souls. I have found the times that I am able to relax, laugh freely, and enjoy life is when I have peace. This peace comes from accepting where I am in life, who I am, and that God is in control. When I take the time to read my Bible and pray daily I am more likely to be in line with God’s will for my life. It’s not that life isn’t busy or difficult, but I have an understanding that God is for me and that is good enough. 

“For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6