Life has been described as a journey. A journey happens over a period of time. There is a beginning, and there is an end to the journey, which is the destination. But along the way there is so much that can take place. There are so many phases. There will be high and low points because many things impact on a journey. The route you take, may be scenic, or have no views at all. The terrain could be awful, or it could be one smooth road. The mode of transportation is important in determining how your journey progresses.
The people you travel with is also impactful. Everyone’s journey is different. No two people, no matter how close they are, have the same journey from the beginning to the end. Even parents and children are only alongside each other for part of the journey. We meet many different types of people on our journey. There are some really amazing people that we meet. Some are placed like a star to light up our journey. What a privilege to have these people in our lives. Other times, we may have such a negative experience with a person that we never want to see them again. Regardless of experience, we can always ask our Heavenly Father what we can learn from them or what we could teach them.
Sometimes, there are those who bring such joy into your life, because of the lenses they perceive life through. They exude peace. Recently I travelled to Yola to teach a gathering of over 350 widows. Most had lost family and homes, but worshipped God wholeheartedly. It’s easy to worship when everything is going well. Their worship was extremely costly and I had such a sense of the Father’s pleasure on them. I learnt so much about gratitude and contentment. It’s so easy to be the sort that complains about everything, until you meet someone who hardly has anything in a worldly sense, but has a wonderfully contented disposition. The Bible talks about how our Heavenly Father absolutely hates grumbling (Exodus 16:2-15). Grumbling attracts such negative vibes to oneself. It’s also related to a critical and entitled spirit. It distorts the beautiful and peaceful aura of gratitude that should be around us. I was appreciative of meeting the beautiful women in Yola, even for a short time, on my life’s journey.
Some embark on the journey of life, and their only intention is to get to their destination. They may have had dreams when they are young and all they desire to focus on is achieving that dream. This may be a rather myopic way of viewing life. It is definitely far from the exciting abundant life that Jesus came to give to us (John 10:10). Jesus desires that we rule and reign in this life. We are called to enjoy every bit of our journey.
Relationships, directions and decisions have major impact on our ability to enjoy our lives journey. Our Heavenly Father says, ‘My sheep hear My voice.’ (John 10:4). This means that He has made every arrangement to communicate with us on our journey. To this end, He gave us the Holy Spirit to be our Helper, Counsellor and Guide (John 15:26). We are supposed to be in a loving relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When we walk intimately with the Holy Spirit, our journey suddenly takes on new meaning and we don’t feel alone or bewildered by situations. Every part of the journey is interesting because we know the Holy Spirit is alongside us bringing revelation and companionship. There becomes so much to savour from our experiences, that we look forward to them. Our eyes are no longer on the destination, but we can relax in the company of the Holy Spirit who is our Guide and enjoy the ride.
When trust is in place, we can look to the Holy Spirit for direction. When the Holy Spirit is our mode of transportation, we can trust Him no matter what terrain He guides us through. We can be reassured that even challenging experiences will serve to mature us, and not destroy us. When trust is in place, we can hand the keys of the vehicle over to Him, and sit by Him, as He knows where the land mines are so He can avoid them. If we know Him as our Protector, our Jehovah Jireh, we can rest assured that we are safe. (Psalm 91:1). We can make decisions with help from the One who knows the end from the beginning.(Isaiah 48:5). If we completely surrender to Him, we can have faith for the journey. We don’t have to behave like those who have no one that cares. We don’t need to be anxious or worried. We can cast all our cares on Him for He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).
Finally, let us have faith, that the Holy Spirit will not only take us safely through our journey, but also fill it with all the experiences He desires that we have. Remember that the Holy Spirit desires to mould us daily into Christ’s image. We may not know exactly where our journey will lead us, but we know He who knows the end from the beginning, and He is able to take us to our journeys end.
God bless you,
Mina Bajomo
