The Journey

Quote in my email today:

This life, therefore, is not godliness but the process of becoming godly, not health but getting well, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not now what we shall be, but we are on the way. The process is not yet finished, but it is actively going on. This is not the goal but it is the right road. At present, everything does not gleam and sparkle, but everything is being cleansed. Martin Luther

After yesterday's post, I thought this quote was a good followup. Bob commented that if we had driven straight to where we needed to be last week, then we would have missed the experience -- we would have missed everything we saw.

That's absolutely true, and I wouldn't have wanted to miss what we passed by. It added to the experience.

Sometimes, as the quote implies, it is the journey that is important. The journey is how we grow. The walk -- the process -- is the goal.

There are times in my church, during communion, when we walk to the back of the church via the side aisles, and then up the middle aisle to reach the elements. There are some who think this is an unnecessarily long walk. Personally, I disagree. I think the walk should be long. I think we need the travel -- the walk -- to communion -- to reach God.

If God wants me to arrive quickly, then that's great. If the journey is part of the goal, then I'll savor it. I just want to remember to pray along the way -- whether the way is long or short.