I want to thank my husband, Ron, for writing this blog entry. My day is filled with house guests, appointments, and a late night trip to the airport in Omaha. Oh, and I have to pack in there somewhere…
–Buffy
This weekend will be a difficult journey. Buffy, Stephanie, and I will be traveling to Texas so that I can speak at the memorial service for one of our closest and dearest friends. My friend asked me shortly before she died if I would have her service. It was one of those difficult conversations that I’ve already had too often in this life. I said, “Of course I will, Sara.” And I will. Nothing could keep me away. Not because it will be easy, because it won’t. No, the reason that nothing could keep me away is love. Sara loved us, and we love her. So we will make that long drive down on Friday and spend Sabbath with her husband and her three children. Then, Buffy and I will take part in that sacred service. I am still praying about what to say; that is always so hard for me. But I am trusting Jesus to give me what is needed and to help me to be able to speak. And I am confident He will, because He loves Sara even more than I do, and–through the Holy Spirit–He will be attending too. Then on Sunday, we will make the long drive back home to Lincoln.
Some trips are just harder than others. You know what that is like. This weekend will be a long and difficult journey. But I am praising Jesus, because our journey is so much easier because of the Journey He took for us. I will never fully grasp what He gave up to make the trip to this sorry old earth where He lived and died. But I know that He did it for us. And I know He did it because of His great love.
Are you on a difficult journey right now? I suggest you join me in looking to Jesus for strength, comfort, and guidance. The One who came for us long ago will come again. Not only that, but the Lord of the journey will be with us every step of the way in the here and now. Let us pray for one another all weekend long, shall we? I’m glad we are on this journey together.
One pilgrim to another,
Pastor Ron
Photo credit: Julie Escobar
