Road Trip

Aren’t road trips the best? The open highway stretches in front of you with promise of adventures to come. Who knows what is around the next bend? What sites you’ll see or epic snacks you’ll find at a road side stop!

My husband and I just took off on a 14 day adventure. First we drove up the California coast, enjoying towering groves of  majestic redwoods and Elk by the roadside (after we had detoured to try and find them 😆) Then we enjoyed the majestic vistas and small towns of the Oregon coast, getting to stop at a petting zoo where we had the privilege of actually touching my favorite animal, a baby jaguar 🤩 We stayed at Depoe Bay, OR where we were surprised by the presence of resident humpback whales. There we got to attend my cousin’s beautiful wedding on the beach. Afterwards, we crossed Oregon stopping for a sweet visit with my dad’s extended family.

We made it as far north as Vancouver, WA where we enjoyed seeing my nephew’s house and spending time with he and his wife. Then we drove through eastern Oregon to end up in Eagle, ID for time with great friends, a surprise visit with my niece from Australia and sister- in- law from TN! And family who joined us there for days of swimming, fishing, and playing at parks with water features. To get home, we came through Nevada and into CA and the Sierras. The whole trip was so much fun and full of wonderful surprises. Who knew that bumper cars on an ice rink was thing?? My laughter filled the ice rink as my 8 year old niece twirled us in spirals to careen into her parents 🤣 (see photo) Playing is a key that unlocks joy.

This amazing trip also included fatigue, a cold, and a call from our son that he was ok but his car was totaled. As we visited with friends and family everyone had news to share of good and hard things. Isn’t that just like life? Even when life is overwhelmingly good there is also hard.

Today I was reminded that each day I have a choice about what I will focus on. In Habakkuk 3:18 (amp) after talking about how everything in his life is going wrong, the author says, “Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the Lord…”

On a literary road trip through Psalm 103 this week, I discovered 23 reasons to rejoice around each bend no matter what is happening around me. (Try it, maybe you can find more!) Mine include God’s gracious forgiveness and ever present love. It’s good to rejoice in Him being the healer as my life feels full of others facing illnesses. In the midst of my own fatigue (I’m tired of the energy it takes to heal), I was encouraged that He renews my strength- I can even soar like an eagle.

As we travel whatever road we’re on, let’s rejoice together in never changing truths we can count on. May we fully enjoy the gifts along the way- like the surprise gift of a flower farm just minutes down the road on our way through OR. Even better was the encouragement offered by the flower farm’s store clerk. She too has survived breast cancer and had the exact same type I did (which is rare to find). In the midst of my healing fatigue it was so encouraging to hear from another survivor that it took a full year after treatment to have her energy back.

Maybe today we’ll have the opportunity to be that voice of encouragement to someone else, who is tired from their journey. In choosing to rejoice, may we sow seeds of hope around us.