What I probably wouldn't have pictured was the hotel rooms.
When I mention hotels and traveling it sounds so...adventurous and luxurious. And I guess in many ways it is a big adventure. I get to travel every summer to different locations (California, New Jersey, Florida and Colorado being some of the recent places). This spring break I will get to help lead a group of college students to our partnership campus in the Dominican Republic. I have many opportunities on staff to travel not only in the United States, but throughout the whole world. And maybe someday (in years to come) it will feel more like how it sounds (fun).
However, with two small kids I must admit that the traveling is a bit exhausting. Sitting in dark hotel rooms when the kids go to bed or are napping, rearranging the furniture in the room to figure out how to fit the kids mini travel tents in the room, but far enough apart (if that's an option) so they don't wake each other up when they cough (because they are always somehow sick when we're on the road), and the hours in the car sometimes all just about push me over the edge of sanity.
In the midst of a tough night (feeling disconnected from the actual conference going on, dealing with short naps and disobedient kids) I have to remember the bigger picture. The bigger picture is what God is doing in the hearts and lives of real people around me, and through the ministry that I'm privileged to be a part of. Right now there are hundreds of college students in the large ballroom hearing a speaker that God could use to literally change their life. There are thousands of college students in different locations across the US experiencing the same thing.
What makes it all worth it? The gospel of Jesus Christ. The fact that Jesus not only died on the cross, but that he was resurrected. He conquered death so that we may truly live! Christ's love, forgiveness and grace is not at all what I deserve, and yet He has given it to me through His blood on the cross. My life as a missionary and all the dark hotel rooms in between the thousands of miles we travel are all worth it because other people get to know the Jesus that I know!
1 comment:
i've been thinking about the title of the book my sister mentioned to me "parenting from the pew" - obviously, i haven't read this- but she told me that it talks about how we are parenting with our children in tow at church. we may miss the message for a (short) while as we train our kids up to be godly lil' peeps, but with our ability to spend time with Him (and the awesome internet age of podcasts) we are able to still catch up on the message.
not really sure why i wrote this, other than the fact that we don't travel because of this- and i often pray for the families during the CCC travel season because i know it can be hard! the kids are learning from you and although not *thankful* today- will (probably) be in the future.
xo!
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