I am in the middle of four trips, back to back. I wish I had thought of a way to accomplish the trips with more time in between each one. It would have been good to rest, recover, and reflect. As it is, the time in California has been shorter and shorter between each one. Between the first and the second, there was two days. Between the second and the third, one day. As I approach the fourth I will have less than half a day to recover, refocus, and start again.
In the course of making these trips, I have stopped to say “hello” to old friends. In many ways, it felt as if I was a character in an old play. “From Ephesus he [my character] sailed to Caesarea. He greeted the church there, and then went on to Antioch, completing the journey.” (Acts 18.21, 22) He thought the trip was over but it was just beginning. As meetings and partings blurred into a series of confusing opportunities, it was unclear what would come next.
Life often unfolds differently than expected. I went to work on deal one, only to discover there was no deal. I went to visit a good friend, only to discover that he was very sick. I went to explore potential opportunities, only to find that nothing made sense. When I finally had a meeting to simply share what was going on in life, I found myself looking at a new path.
While there is little point in questioning my planning and agendas, it is worthwhile questioning my intent. Did I allow room for the impossible to be possible? Was I willing to see what could not be foreseen? Could I plan, work, and then simply be in the moment?
Measuring the success of each trip is taking on a different perspective. Am I richer for my experiences? Yes. Do I have a picture about where I can contribute? Yes. Do I have any clues about tomorrow? No. I/we have an invitation to walk with the Spirit into the unknown.
