How true this statement is! This physical existence in Biology, whether one believes that 'Heaven' is our Final Destination or that we, as followers & hosts of the Son of our Heavenly Father currently make it our Resting Place, is definitely a trip; we are clearly meant to learn something along the way, as we journey through this biological experience. The Journey can be a reference to the actual steps we take as we make our way through this world, or it can refer, in a more metaphorical sense, to our maturation as we face new & different challenges along the way!
As most of you probably know, I recently took a rather long ( a day less than two months ) vacation! I first traveled to St. Thomas, one of the U. S. Virgin Islands where I spent three weeks enjoying the fairly relaxed pace of Island Life, on Island Time. After saying my farewells to my family there, I caught a plane up to Orlando where my baby sister lives in Winter Garden with her husband & children. When my two weeks there were up, I traveled to Virginia & spent several days with more family there & then rode out to Indiana where I spent two weeks with more family. Back to Montana was where I headed next, making it my final destination for that trip; but, my Journey was by no means over!
The experiences I endured on this part of my Personal Journey are ones that will doubtless stay in my mental passport for the rest of my existence! Not so much the experiences that I had, maybe, the things I did, but the things I learned, both about myself & others. I learned; experienced rather, that life is not so much about what a person believes, though that is important, but what a person does, whether that one claims a certain doctrine or not! Whether one has all his or her doctrinal ducks in a row or whether that one holds no particular doctrine sacred, when the rubber meets the road, what a person does with his or her belief or lack thereof is what really matters! We may quibble whether it's possible for a person to truly do what is right without acknowledging a blessed relationship with our Heavenly Father & the Body of His Son, His People, but when it comes down to it, doctrine doesn't do windows, to see clearly, one must actually use some full-strength elbow grease!
I enjoyed the time spent with family in each of my temporary destinations, but I also enjoyed the new acquaintances I made in each place as well! Some of the friends I made, in the Islands, in particular, are probably not ones that I would enjoy hanging out with on a daily basis, but then, I might say the same about certain members of my family! Difference in belief has a great effect, maybe too great, on how we experience this earthly life & so go our enjoyment, unfortunately! If only we could simply enjoy the company of a fellow creature, rather than basing our friendship, our fellowship, on what doctrine or creed a person holds to! Alas; as human beings, we tend to judge as worthy those who believe a certain set of doctrines, rather than seeing the worthiness of the creature in the actions they pursue!
Now that I'm back in Montana, I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. It sure was an experience, what with traveling through several different airports & then spending several weeks in the Islands! Never will I forget my time there; in fact, I'm still processing some of it! Florida, was almost an entirely different experience for me; I enjoyed every moment, as I did in the Islands, but I traveled around a bit more. I did not spend as long in Virginia as I had hoped, but I tried to make the most of my time there & in Indiana as well. My time in Indiana was a pleasant one, for the most part & I AM grateful for the time that I was able to spend there!
As I continue this Journey, along with my fellow creatures & members of the Family of God, the Body of Christ, I'm looking forward to further experiencing the Grace & Mercy of our Heavenly Father, enjoying each new learning experience as it comes, or as I come to it! We may look at this life as simply a journey which we must endure before we reach our Final Destination, or we may approach it with amazement, with wondering eyes & minds, enjoying each step of the Journey! Our choice may determine how we weather Life's Storms!
Charles Haddon Shank
The experiences I endured on this part of my Personal Journey are ones that will doubtless stay in my mental passport for the rest of my existence! Not so much the experiences that I had, maybe, the things I did, but the things I learned, both about myself & others. I learned; experienced rather, that life is not so much about what a person believes, though that is important, but what a person does, whether that one claims a certain doctrine or not! Whether one has all his or her doctrinal ducks in a row or whether that one holds no particular doctrine sacred, when the rubber meets the road, what a person does with his or her belief or lack thereof is what really matters! We may quibble whether it's possible for a person to truly do what is right without acknowledging a blessed relationship with our Heavenly Father & the Body of His Son, His People, but when it comes down to it, doctrine doesn't do windows, to see clearly, one must actually use some full-strength elbow grease!
I enjoyed the time spent with family in each of my temporary destinations, but I also enjoyed the new acquaintances I made in each place as well! Some of the friends I made, in the Islands, in particular, are probably not ones that I would enjoy hanging out with on a daily basis, but then, I might say the same about certain members of my family! Difference in belief has a great effect, maybe too great, on how we experience this earthly life & so go our enjoyment, unfortunately! If only we could simply enjoy the company of a fellow creature, rather than basing our friendship, our fellowship, on what doctrine or creed a person holds to! Alas; as human beings, we tend to judge as worthy those who believe a certain set of doctrines, rather than seeing the worthiness of the creature in the actions they pursue!
Now that I'm back in Montana, I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. It sure was an experience, what with traveling through several different airports & then spending several weeks in the Islands! Never will I forget my time there; in fact, I'm still processing some of it! Florida, was almost an entirely different experience for me; I enjoyed every moment, as I did in the Islands, but I traveled around a bit more. I did not spend as long in Virginia as I had hoped, but I tried to make the most of my time there & in Indiana as well. My time in Indiana was a pleasant one, for the most part & I AM grateful for the time that I was able to spend there!
As I continue this Journey, along with my fellow creatures & members of the Family of God, the Body of Christ, I'm looking forward to further experiencing the Grace & Mercy of our Heavenly Father, enjoying each new learning experience as it comes, or as I come to it! We may look at this life as simply a journey which we must endure before we reach our Final Destination, or we may approach it with amazement, with wondering eyes & minds, enjoying each step of the Journey! Our choice may determine how we weather Life's Storms!
Charles Haddon Shank
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