Tag: journey

Taking the Long Way

October 6, 2019 /

It’s still zero dark thirty as I walk through my neighborhood to coffee, but I can tell it’s cloudy. No stars. No moon. It’s a blustery 48 degrees and I’m not dressed for the changing season.

I usually take the “long way”, weaving through the lovely back streets, but today my hands are becoming numb. I cut out of the neighborhood for a more direct route to the warm Starbucks with lights beckoning me through the darkness.

As I walk, I think of the Israelites in the wilderness. How much would they have loved to turn on a GPS and take a shortcut to the Promised Land?

How often did they think, “God parted the Red Sea for us! Why not provide a highway and a Maserati?” Ok, maybe not that exact sentiment, but something within the realm of their imagination, right?

How often would you like to do that too? Maybe your wilderness is singleness, or infertility, or joblessness, or health issues, or more month than money.

Yeah, we can see the benefits of the “long way” for the Israelites –

  • They learned deep, daily dependence on God.
  • They saw His faithfulness and goodness even when their circumstances didn’t change.
  • They experienced the value of community.
  • They learned the consequences of disobedience.

But maybe you’re feeling really cranky today and you’re tired of looking for the blessings. You may feel like you’re making excuses for God. That’s honest.

via GIPHY

Maybe today you need permission to lament. (Psalm 5:1-3, Psalm 6:3)

Maybe you need to hear that God is patient and sees you and hears you no matter how rebellious you feel. (Genesis 13:16, Psalm 40:1, 2 Peter 3:9)

Maybe you just need your weariness and pain to be validated. (Psalm 119:28, Psalm 34:18)

It’s ok. God is big and gracious and patient.

But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the wilderness.

Psalm 78:52

What has helped you in your wilderness? Share in comments! And I’d love to have you join me over on Instagram! Come say “Hey!”

Road Trips

June 1, 2015 /

 

Adventure starts where plans end.-3It’s June 1st – the start of summer, and for many of you that means VACATION!

Every year when I was growing up, our family took The Big Vacation. We conquered a different region of the United States each summer. Planning for these extravaganzas began in the freeze of Chicago winters when the July road trip was just a tiny glimmer of warm light at the end of a cold, dark tunnel.

I’ve been thinking about those family adventures and decided it would be fun to do a summer blog series on Bible “road trips”. I’ll post once a week and include questions so you can use this for personal study or with a small group. Because these are a little more substantive, and because it’s summer, I’m just going to commit to one post a week. My small group is going to be discussing this IRL and you can join virtually. Sound ok?

In addition, I‘d love it if you’d post pictures of your road trips on Instagram (https://instagram.com – lauracrosby) or on my Facebook page with the hashtag #roadtrip and what you’re learning with a link to the blog.

Some of the things we experienced on our family vacations are consistent with what I see in biblical road trips:

  • Packing up – Abraham
  • Provision – Moses
  • Promise – Joshua
  • Pit stops – Elijah
  • Peter
  • Perspective – Paul

But today, just one thought…

No matter what road trip we’re on with the Lord, no matter where we go, our home is in Him.

They will ask the way to Jerusalem
    and will start back home again.
They will bind themselves to the Lord
    with an eternal covenant that will never be forgotten. Jer. 50:5 NLT

Questions (We’d love to hear any of your thoughts in the comments below!):

  1. What’s the most fun trip you’ve ever taken?
  2. How would you describe this leg of your journey or “road trip” with God? You may want to take a look at this Discipleship Map for help.
  3. What are the biggest challenges and fears as you look at the road you’re on?
  4. What promises do we have for our road trips? Exodus 33:14, Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 16:11, Hebrews 13:5b. Which means the most to you?

5 Questions About…Risk

July 11, 2014 /

Photo 50

Sharon is a dear friend who both inspires and intimidates me with her amazingness.  She has guest-posted here before.  I’m so thankful that in the midst of a busy, stressful time, she was willing to share some more of what she’s learning.  Here’s the next in our 5 Questions About…series.

1. Recently you took what must have felt like a huge risk. Can you tell us about it?

Eight months ago, I resigned from a job I had loved and made the leap to running my own business. This happened after an extended season of prayer and discernment, so by the time I made the change, I felt certain it was the right thing to do.

Yes, there were practical risks involved: leaving a certain income, benefits, 401K; losing the familiarity of my office and team. And as a single person, I didn’t have a safety net of a second income, back-up insurance, or a support person to pick up slack in other areas of life. But I was also very clear about why I was making the change: 1) to be faithful to what I understood God was putting in my hands; 2) to learn and grow through a new challenge.

So when I framed it that way, I realized that even if my business failed (and I had to move into my parents’ basement), I would experience God in deeper ways and learn things I wouldn’t otherwise. Continue reading

What I’m Learning as I Scuffle Along

May 31, 2013 /

It’s Fearless Friday!  A few weeks ago I shared that, in spite of my fears, I had been convinced (tricked?  shamed?  hornswaggled?) into running a half marathon in Minneapolis with Team World Vision to raise money for clean water for Africa.

It’s on October 26th and is called the Monster Dash.  “Dash”??  Really?  How can a half marathon be called a “dash”?  For me it may be a shuffle or a trudge or a slog, but I will definitely not be dashing!

No, I’m not a “runner”.  I do more of a scuffle that’s so slow 80 year old men in wheelchairs could pass me.  Before a few weeks ago, I don’t think I had run more than 3 miles in my whole life.

And, yes, as much as I hate to admit it, I’m 55 years old and have rods and screws in my back.  So, if I can give this a go, anyone can.  Today I want to encourage you to sign up to run with me, and to give you a little update.

What-I-look-like-when-I-run

Continue reading

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