Two years ago this week, my family and I made an epic road trip. While I remember the road trip, I had forgotten that I had penned this reflection exactly two years ago today. As I re-read it, it stirred up something in me, so I thought I would share it with you. I just took a turn down Memory Row. (which is a great song by The Insiders)
I love a road trip, and basically any road trip will do. A two hour road trip to Columbus to check out motorcycles, a 3.5 hour road trip to Hillbilly Hotdogs for a home wrecker, a 6 hour drive to Philly to catch up with college friends, or even the multiple hour road trips for work or vacation. Road trips are awesome, the drive, the adventure, the new experiences, and seeing the country. I am always amazed by the level of enthusiasm at the beginning of a road trip. It’s unbridled. I mean, everyone is excited about the expedition that lies ahead and what the journey will have in store.
That is how we began our drive to Florida on Thursday afternoon, with unbridled enthusiasm. We packed up our gear, loaded the car, had an ample supply of snacks and beverages, appropriate music, and a full tank of gas. We were elated and ambitious and a bit naïve, determined to make the 18+ hour drive from Bloomingdale, Ohio to Siesta Key, Florida in 22 hours and have the experience of a lifetime.
We started the trip out on a high note, leaving around 4pm. We decided to stop for dinner about an hour into our drive at 360 Burger in Cambridge because it is one of our favorite burger places. This trip was going to be spectacular! We were going pull an all-nighter and drive till dawn to watch the sun come up as we arrive in Florida. We had 3 drivers and we planned to break the drive into six-hour shifts.
Curtis took the first shift. We drove through Ohio and into West Virginia listening to old-school, 80’s and 90’s country and little bit of Florida Georgia Line. We switched drivers around 9:30pm when Todd took over. When we crossed into Virginia, our enthusiasm had started to die a slow death as we realized we had well over 12 hours of driving still ahead of us. We were starting to get sore and beginning to feel “road trip” fatigue set in. And it was starting to get late. We made it through Virginia and into North Carolina. Todd was trooper and took the shift until almost 4am. And then I took over after trying to grab some sleep while Todd raced through South Carolina and Georgia.
I took over after we stopped for gas in Georgia, and the boys went to sleep. I listened to new country and sang most of the time (how the boys actually slept, I’ll never know). Crossing the actual Florida/Georgia line was a victory, as we only had about 4 hours to go. I drove, they slept. Life was good. About 2 hours from our final destination, we stopped for breakfast – I wanted to push through to Sarasota, but alas.
We pulled in at our rental property before 10 am. We made the entire trip in less than 18 hours, which included two stops for sit-down meals, and multiple stops for gas and bathroom breaks. And while it was a successful trip and quite an adventure, it was unanimous that morning that we never really want to do this type of trip again. Even my 18 year old son, who chooses not to sleep, was desperate for sleep. And we all had aches and pains that we didn’t know could be conjured up through a car ride.
While we were all excited about where we were going, a week at the beach and a visit with my step-son and his girlfriend who moved to the Bradenton Area in January, it really wasn’t about the destination. It is true what they say, it’s the journey.
While the journey was long, exhausting and at times monotonous, it was the journey that really mattered in the end. We sang and we laughed. We played car games (Curtis introduced us to “yellow car”) and made up new rules (the Penske Penalty). We talked about what were most excited about and future plans, we made stupid inside jokes and teased each other a lot. We even had some tense moments of tiredness, fatigue and stress. But even with the small number of challenges, I would make the grueling drive all over again because that drive, as strenuous as it seemed, brought us closer as a family.
Our relationship with God is a lot like that. I, for one, thought that once I decided I would have a relationship with God that was kind of the end of it. That was the destination. He would just come into my life and things would instantly be better. But our relationship with God is a journey, a daily journey, and not some final end point. There are conversations (a lot of them) and laughter (mostly me laughing at myself), I sing sometimes (I listen to praise and worship music often – shocking, I know) and there are a lot of moments of fatigue and stress (particularly when I don’t understand). But when I stay with it and persist, I always end up someplace pretty amazing.
So if you haven’t begun your journey with God, I invite you to embark on that road trip. And if you have, know that sometimes, a lot of times, the road will get bumpy, sometimes you’ll have to take that path in what seems like utter darkness, and sometimes you’re going to get really uncomfortable and things might even seem painful. But don’t get sidetracked, take a detour or think that the journey isn’t worth it. I know He will lead you some place amazing. Please pray for me and I will continue to pray for you.
Tattoos, Motorcycles, Beer, Bourbon and Faith 