Fueling the Journey

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” – John Muir

The glossy photos in the travel magazines held plenty of promises.

We had only read about - could only imagine -

the pristine peaks of the Rocky Mountains,

the staggering heights of the Great Sand Dunes,

the picturesque cliffs of the Sandia Mountains, or

the wonderland of wood-turned-into-stone in Petrified National Forest.

Faith is being sure of what we hope for

and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

After connecting the dots of miles to be covered,

coordinating reservations

and convincing family members that it was doable,

we committed.

And this we knew from experience:

Any road trip requires a steady stream of fuel

and some strategic rest-stops to fill up both body and vehicle.

Because it takes energy to get from here to there.

And it's the care of the four tires of our physical health-

Nutrition, Hydration, Activity and Rest -

that keeps this body moving forward

or stopped with a flat or two on the side of the road of life.

And it's this faith-tank of ours that requires constant filling,

because frankly, it's dangerous - even deadly - to run on fumes.

Withholding food starves a body;

Withholding soul-food starves faith.

And how often we risk running on fumes -

and we're tempted to simply

turn around,

turn back,

return the rental vehicle and

turn our backs on the whole adventure itself.

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." - Jesus in Matt 17:20

Sometimes it's not the mountain we need moved

but the cloudy mountain of a miserable mindset

we need to

move through,

move past,

move beyond.

What we really need is Something to Move Through Us.

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” – John Muir

And this Life Adventure is calling. And we must go.

Even when, especially when...

somebody wrecked;

somebody contributed to a wreck;

somebody was carried out on a stretcher;

somebody wasn't carried out at all;

somebody went too far;

somebody didn't go far enough;

loss and tragedy and angst and despair and destruction and death and...

My eyes of faith won’t focus anymore, for sorrow fills my heart...

Psalm 6:7

Warning light!

Warning Light commanding: Return to Faith on Full!

The Recall we need in those very moments is that

we are on the adventure in the first place

because We Are Called...

and the One Who calls us is faithful. (1 Thess 5:24)

For the Lord has turned to listen to my thunderous cry.

Yes! Yahweh my healer has heard all my pleading and has taken hold of my prayers and answered them all. Psalm 6:9

Since the One Who calls us Is faithful,

​We. Must. Get. A. Grip. by allowing the Grip of the Healer and Holder.

Or else we face external and internal collision.

Our grip is to hold fast to the Word (1 Cor 15:1-3)

and to hold fast to the profession of our faith

without wavering (Hebr 10:23).

Especially on those winding and dangerous roads,

bumper to bumper,

stressed and tense and anxious.

Faith reminds us:

Slow and steady.

Keep Fueling to be Filled,

because it is FAITH that allows us to be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph 3:17-18).

And Fullness means we are not on empty,

nor is it possible to be on empty -

"because it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me -

and the life which I now live in the flesh

I live by Faith

in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me."(Gal 2:20).

We can live by Faith...

If we can know this naturally (like Nature does)

and hear this this daily

and seek this habitually

and find this constantly

and share this generously

and spread this un-apologetically

and show this routinely.

Then...we have a chance to arrive.

And to arrive!

Every National Park or scenic getaway has a long, often winding road

into the heart of the scenery.

It's waiting and wondering...are we on the right road?

It's wondering and hoping...will it meet or exceed our expectations?

It's wishing during these countless hours of driving...are we there yet?

Is this long journey worth it?

How much longer

before we see the sights that will take our breath away

and stir our spirit

and renew our delight in God's Majesty

and leave us awe-struck in Wonder?

Thank God for Nature as Teacher.

“Oh, these vast, calm, measureless mountain days, days in whose light everything seems equally divine, opening a thousand windows to show us God.” – John Muir

Maybe we are seeing mountain majesty or the ocean expanse

for the first time,

or maybe we are seeing the vastness of landscapes

in great contrast to our cities and neighborhoods.

Or maybe we've seen the sights before -

but are now seeing it in a different way,

through different eyes,

because we are recognizing a theme:

The same sunrise we view from the mountain peaks

is the same sunrise available this morning outside our front doors;

The same sunset on the sandy beach

is the same one we have access to on our drives home from work;

The same stars visible in the wide-open sky over endless rolling hills

are above us tonight;

The sweet closeness and connection with loved ones on a vacation

is available today, right here, right now.

The kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:20.

Right here, right now.

Therefore, we can faithfully trust in the God of all Goodness

Who Is also the author and perfecter of (our) faith. (Hebr 12:2)

Let God keep your faith-tank on full

so that God can keep writing your story.

It's His story, too.