Not too much to report. I have to remind myself what day it is, which is good…I think. I usually have a really good handle on time, even without looking at my watch. I tend to be schedule focused.

I hoped that during this sabbatical, I wouldn’t be so focused on my schedule. That seems to be happening. In some ways, the time has slowed down. The days aren’t moving as quickly. There’s time and space to think and breathe.

With a stripped-down schedule, I’m able to do some reading that I wouldn’t normally do. I’m able to write these blog posts. I’m also taking time to collect my reflections on what it means to be on a journey…and that we are all on some kind of journey.

Our journeys consist of decisions, delays, detours, difficulties, dreams, downtime, and most importantly, a destination. We all begin somewhere, but we can never remain where we currently are. Change is constant. Life moves forward. So do we…even if we try not to.

We are all on a journey. God called Abram to leave where he was and go to a place God would show him (Genesis 12). God calls all to a journey, but it is possible to believe in God and believe that Jesus has come so we might have life, yet not respond to God’s call to leave our familiar place. Saying yes to Jesus saves us, but saying yes to God’s call transforms us and our lives.

It’s tough. We find a nice place and get comfortable. Perhaps the fear of the unknown is greater than the pain of the known. We put up with subpar situations when we are afraid of what the future holds.

God continues to call. Some choose to respond, others choose to ignore, perhaps believing that giving some kind of ‘yes’ to Jesus’ sacrifice is enough. Choosing to only believe and not going on God’s journey means we will be stuck. Stuck in our faith. Stuck in life.

Where is your journey taking you? You may not know. You may simply be navigating whatever happens to come your way. You haven’t decided to take any kind of journey. Instead, you let the journey take you, living by default. You aren’t saying “yes” to God’s journey, but rather saying yes to fate or just whatever happens. Or maybe, you are calling the shots. You know where you want to go and how to get there. Once again, this is not saying yes to God’s journey, it’s saying yes to our own.

How much better would it be if you knew you were on a journey that mattered? A journey that God blesses and guides. Knowing that the journey actually goes somewhere can help during those difficult times.

God called Abram, and he responded by deciding to take the first steps of faith. God calls us too. We might not know where we are heading, but we can certainly know who we are traveling with and who is leading the way.