Land (Tuesday, April 9th)

Tuesday, April 9th

Land: to come to the end of a course or to a stage in a journey; arrive 

John 14:1-3 (NRSV)

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.

In our devotions these past few days, we have considered our response to God’s call on our lives. When God calls, we launch… we last… and one day, we will finally land. Our mission will be finished and we will be safely home. I have noticed a correlation between following God’s call and walking my daily miles. I hope my story serves as a parable of sorts to describe how our anticipated ‘kingdom landing’ influences our earthly journey.

Launch…

The idea of landing is what inspires me to walk each morning. On the days when I am not motivated to get out there, I remind myself how good I will feel when I arrive home with my exercise finished for the day. When I ‘land’ I am rewarded with a cup of coffee, a refreshing shower, and a sense of accomplishment with my self-care regimen. The rewards of good coffee, better health, and an already-completed task motivate me to keep my routine.

The ending I envision is what inspires me to begin. 

Last…

The idea of landing also guides my path when I plan to walk a little farther. My goal this year has been to walk at least 20 miles each week. When I need to catch up with a mile or two, I will do better if I circle a few neighborhoods while I am farthest from home. I choose to extend my walking route along the way because once I begin nearing home- I want to BE home. Rarely do I arrive home and then decide to walk another mile!

The ending I envision is what motivates me to go the extra mile early on. 

Land…

Finally, the anticipated landing opens my heart to delight in the journey itself. I can venture out with joy on new and different paths because I know where my home remains and where my loved ones are waiting. There is no need to seek and search for a new place to land. My home base has been secured, which gives me the serenity to simply enjoy the adventure. I consider my return as the final reward, but all of the paths leading me there provide challenging workouts, beautiful moments in nature, quiet times for contemplation, friends to meet along the way, and always the presence of the One who walks with me all the way home.

The ending I envision is what brings joy to the walk itself, giving each and every path a sense of purpose, presence… and peace.

All definitions are excerpted from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/

Photo credit: Aaron Burden on Unsplash