I’ve been traveling most of the day, going from a pleasant fall day in College Place, WA to a cold and snowy evening in Denver. I’m here for the 2023 Lifestyle Medicine Conference, something I’ve been looking forward to all year.
The plane ride was fine, with just a little turbulence coming into Denver, but getting to my hotel was a pain! I’d rented a car and had to wait for almost an hour in the cold for the shuttle to take me to the rental agency. Once I got there I found out there were a couple mandatory charges which hadn’t been mentioned when I’d reserved the car online. These would have more than doubled the cost, so I canceled the rental.
I caught the shuttle back to the airport, then waited another 20 minutes for the hotel shuttle. By then my teeth were chattering and I was freezing. Finally I arrived at my hotel, 2-½ hours later than I should have, cold, discouraged, and frustrated.
As I turned the doorknob for my room, I wondered what awaited me on the other side. When I opened the door and saw the room I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally something had gone right. The room is beautiful, spacious, and, most importantly, warm. The bed is soft and the whole room has a comfortable feel. It feels so good to be finally at my journey’s end.
We all are on a journey, one which is often fraught with setbacks, discouraging circumstances, and unexpected challenges. It would be so easy to give up, turn back, or just throw up our hands and quit.
But we do not journey alone. God promises He will send “an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.” (Exodus 23:20 NIV). No matter how hard the journey or what setbacks you face along the way, God is with you.
I wouldn’t want to have another trip like I had today, but I thank God for leading me safely here to a place where I can rest. He will do the same for you. Put your trust in Him and He will bring you safely to your journey’s end, a place far better than the nicest hotel room, a place you can truly call Home.