Lessons From the Road (Trips): A Link-Up Testifying To God's Faithfulness

The summer traveling and the Lord's Lessons for me have continued. 


It is amazing how cramming a family into a small, confined space for many uninterrupted hours reveals many things about us. There is no where to run. No where to hide. Having zero private, personal space for several days at a time kind of boils everything down to its very essence. 


As "Mom," I can sense the warning signs when one of my family is nearing the end of their rope. We can try to help them choose Grace in that moment to avert an implosion or an explosion-with-collateral-damage, taking out their siblings.  


But what if the one approaching critical mass is the mom? What happens when I am the one who reaches the end of my rope? And instead of choosing Grace (which is always readily available to me), I choose to blow up--what then?


Well, things get really ugly. Trust me, I know of what I speak.


We are, as a family, pretty well-seasoned road warriors. And I usually spend untold hours preparing every detail I can to make sure the trips go smoothly and everyone has a great time. Planning food and games and activities and things to see along the way leaves me feeling pretty good about things when we pull out of the driveway. Sure, there are always unexpected situations that come up, but we deal with them as they arise.


But then there was the summer of 2011 . . .


Never have we traveled so many miles with so little planning. We have literally been flying by the seat of our pants for weeks on end. In the last six weeks we have been away from home more than we have been home, and it has left me feeling unhinged.


The planning that usually helps things run smoothly having flown out the window, there has been much improvisation. That can be a very good thing, encouraging spontaneity and simplicity. It can also, however, remove that sense of control (even though it's mostly false) I thought I held over the situation. 


Guess what? I haven't always chosen to respond well to "less than ideal circumstances." There have been multiple times when my sweet husband had to give me a look that said, "Okay, stop right there." Of course, I instantly humbled myself, submitting completely to his loving correction. 


NOT EVEN CLOSE. 


And to make matters even more humbling, one of my older children felt the need to explain to me that perhaps my words in a given situation were less than ideal. Can you believe it?!! 


Okay, you didn't have to believe it that quickly. :)


Isn't this just like the Lord? He allows circumstances to stretch us in ways we haven't yet been stretched so that He can purify our hearts more fully. If we hadn't been traveling so much, I wouldn't have seen so clearly these areas in me that need to be refined and submitted to Him. I could have continued on at the level of  "stressors" I have grown accustomed to dealing with and believed that my heart was fine. But, in His Faithfulness, He allowed me to be so far out of my comfort zone this summer that I was in a new "comfort zone zip code." And through these times, He has shown me in the most Loving way possible, how much He still needs to transform me to make me a clearer image of His Son. 


I am thankful we will be home for a few days to, prayerfully, allow the lessons I've learned prepare me more fully for the next wave of travel. Through His Grace, I will do a better job of bringing Him Glory through each of my thoughts, words, and actions when we set out again.


But, I do still have to choose Grace in that moment. In every moment.


Now, what about you? Will you share with us how He has shown Himself Faithful to you? To your family? It can be something that happened long ago, or something from today. You can link up an old post, or write a new one for the occasion. He is our Faithful Father and He reveals Himself to us in countless ways each day. I need to pay closer attention and that's what this Link-Up on Fridays is all about. Write it down. Testify. It will bless you. It will bless us. It will bless the future generations of your family! Grab the button at the right and stick it on your post so others can read what He has done. :)