This post is part of the CW.com blog chain. Please see the list of other writers' post on the right hand sidebar to read some other great entries.This past week we went on a trip. This vacation was part car trip, part cruise, but all parts involved traveling to new parts of the country, and even to a country we've never visited before (Mexico).
In many ways, each portion of the trip involved small "leaps" of faith. Would the hotels we picked be clean, decent, and not located in bad neighborhoods? Would our car hold up on the long trip (1,900 miles each way) and more importantly, would it survive the mountain driving? Would we make it to the cruise ship in time, and would our car still be there in the parking garage once we returned? When word came that we could get caught in a snowstorm in the mountains, would we make it out of the area in time?
As it turns out, the trip went great. Every step of the way, however, we prayed. We prayed for little things (driving, safe travel in a foreign country) and big things (decent weather). Those prayers were answered, and we dodged an Appalachian snowstorm by day. Although we did end up in a rundown hotel in a bad neighborhood for a few hours (due to exhaustion from driving cross-country), the stay was uneventful in the end. Years ago, I would have never thought to pray about so many little things, but at the end of the week all those little things added up in a big way. We even tried some new foods: lamb, grouper, alligator fritters, and even calamari stir-fry.
As the old axiom goes, "look before you leap". Sometimes, however, looking is not enough. It's one thing to look at a travel brochure, or read about reviews of a hotel on a website. It's another to arrive there and find yourself in a dodgy part of town talking to a clerk who is sitting behind a window made of bulletproof glass.
In short, it's okay to look before you leap, but I'm finding it better to pray before you leap, no matter how small the leap may seem. Or, as Paul puts it in Phillipians 4:6-7 (NKJV): "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Great post! Thank you for sharing your "leap".
ReplyDeleteExcellent Michael - great examples of praying in all things - big and small - and trusting in God to provide the answer.
ReplyDeleteAdventures galore! How wonderful, and what a fantastic blessing/witness to others who might be frightened of doing the same leaps. :) Sounds like it might be a great compilation of future blog experiences, too.
ReplyDeleteJust seeing your list of concerns started me worrying. Being prone to seasickness, I don't envision myself ever going on a cruise, but I'm happy yours went well. Quite a leap from Appalachian winters to the Mexican Riviera. Peace and Blessings.
ReplyDeletegreat Leap post. I love the end verse. glad your trip went well. God is passionate about every aspect of what we do and He's delighted when we acknowledge Him so He can guide our steps. don't ya just love to please the Father?
ReplyDeleteYou just now ate lamb?! Oh, man... you gotta get out more! Like to the grocery store. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteMike, yet another thrilling part of your adventure that you shared with us. I am so happy that all went well. The comment on reading hotel reviews reminded me of my trip to Europe a few years ago. 2 places we stayed were "iffy" to say the least. I remember praying for protection and being rather frightened being in a foreign country and not feeling safe, but the Lord provides comfort and peace to us no matter what adventure we find ourselves in. Peace be with you Bro!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how the remarkable stuff that happens becomes the stuff we talk about.
ReplyDeleteYay! Pray before you leap! Perfect advice. So glad you had a good trip in spite of a couple of nooooodges.
ReplyDelete@Nona: Yep, lots of material to draw on because of this trip. Everything from alligator fritters to Key West chickens freely roaming the streets...
ReplyDelete@E.G. Lewis: The seasickness never became an issue, even during strong winds. The boat was just so huge that you could barely feel the waves.
@Pegg: Actually, I had lamb when I was a kid (my wife had never tried it, however). I forgot to mention we have yet to try the "ramp salsa" we picked up in West Virginia.
@Terrie: Some parts of Miami were really eye-opening...maybe in a sad way, too.
look before you leap should be pray before you leap - brilliant!
ReplyDeleteGood reminder that we should "pray continually". Thanks for sharing your adventure.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that lamb was a new food for you to try on your trip. In Australia, lamp is as common as beef or chicken.
Could to hear you returned home safely from your trip. Sometimes even with the best research things don't turn out as expected.
DeleteI second Tracy Krauss' comment: "Look before you leap should be pray before you leap -- brilliant!" So enjoyed your post -- from snow in the mountains to alligator fritters -- and glad you had a wonderful trip.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Michael. God cares just as much about the little things in our lives as He does the big.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a great vacation.
"Pray before you leap" - sage advice, Mike. Great post, and I'm glad you had such a terrific trip.
ReplyDeleteI so relate to the hotel thing - Mom and I ran into similar situations a few years ago on a trip when the hotels we'd booked online turned out to be less than stellar choices for two women traveling without any menfolk. God worked it all out for us, though, and we ended up in better places than originally planned for not a whole lot more than we intended to spend. The improvement in safety was worth the extra expense.
Ugh...anxiety overwhelms just thinking about all the potential worries. Thank God He is stronger!
ReplyDelete-Hosanna
Thanks for the comments! :-)
ReplyDelete