The Whole Trip

Psalm 39:4 – Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. (NIV)

Jeramie, my three-year-old grandson, watched as my teenaged daughter, at the end of a summer's babysitting for my son and his family, helped load the car. My parents had come along with me to Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, to pick her up and return to our home in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, so the car was full. While everyone was saying good-bye, with hugs all around, he was donning his coat and hat and climbing into the car. He stopped long enough to kiss his mom, but began to sob when she tried to tell him he couldn't go.

Grandmas can't take broken hearts, so I winked at his mom and took him along. We drove around for ten minutes or so, at which point, he was willing to return to see his mom again. As far as he was concerned, he'd been on a trip too.

This incident reminds me of the way we often regard our time here on earth: as though it were the whole trip.

Prayer: Lord, we sometimes forget that there is more. Help us to use our time wisely, and to be witnesses for You while we are here. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.