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The start of a trip is often fraught with extremes? Are you more of a "smooth sailing" type? One where should you forget to pack something, you simply know "I can buy it there, or I obviously did not need it in the first place?" Accepting the simplicity of letting go and "going with the flow?" Are you more of an "expecting turbulence" personality? You anticipate what can go wrong, look for bumps in the road, and get yourself menatally prepared for it? You make sure you not only follow the travel experts advice, but even plan for redundancy within your packing (say an extra power converter, just in case the first one breaks)? Some travelers work on refining their preparation techniches to ensure that the next trip, things will go smoother. Some simply embrace the chaos that will be, and know it may work out. Yet, there are times in which our own natural system is not the ideal. Each style has a great strength, but we often need both sides of these extremes.
Every trip has a certain leap of faith tied to it. A traveler must embrace that there are a multitude of details out of our control, and accept that the world is greater than our own experiences and knowledge, and understand that taking it as it comes is all we can really do. One must also embrace that we need to be prepared, that we have our responsibilities, and that sometimes we need to "prepare for a bad harvest (anyone who has had traveler diarrhea without meds will understand THIS). Simply put, we must accept what we can and cannot control. The often used Serenity Prayer would seem to point in a way to balance our desire for smooth sailing and turbulence.
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
--Reinhold Niebuhr
Let's grab out bags, take the step, and embrace the journey. The trip has begun!
Ty Thayer
- comments
Pastor Dave McCarty - Lord of Lutheran Church Prayers and blessings for Betsy and Ty Thayer and the entire team. May your travels be safe and "smooth sailing", and upon your arrival you get the rest you need so that this mission can be all that God has planned for you.
Mark Beenken Blessings for a wonderful, enriching trip Mary! Looking forward to your blogs!
Margaret Beenken Your prep and all will lighten a few of those possibilities Mary, but you covered it quite well. You're right...grab the bags and embrace the trip. We look forward to hearing what you see & hear and our prayers go with you. Grandma Margaret