Shooting the Breeze
Yesterday, I went on a 1.5 hour drive down a bumpy logging road to one of the most beautiful beaches on the North Island, took a couple of pictures and then drove back home. Why? Because the journey was more important than the destination.
I needed the time to further process with someone else the tragic and traumatic event that happened last week. A fellow pastor from our Fellowship of churches head office came for a visit. This was another step in the journey towards healing and restoration.
A few days ago I read an excellent post from Refine Us on this same subject. I want to share some of that post with you:
When we pursue the destination more passionately than we do the journey, we often miss both altogether.Focusing on the destination allows you to achieve some goals and experience some success, but there is always a cost.
Seeking the destination has:
Cost me joy
Robbed me of memories
Caused me stress
Made me ungrateful
Left me discontentWhat I have discovered is that God’s presence finds me on the journey. He is more concerned with who I am becoming than where I am arriving. Oddly enough, so is my wife; so are my kids.
What I have realized (often the hard way) is:
Intimacy grows on the journey
Moments are created on the journey
Contentment is found on the journey
Gratitude is overwhelming on the journey
Life is savored on the journey
What are your thoughts? Is the journey more important than the destination?
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Absolutely!! We grow into who God wants us to be through the journey, and the experiences are invaluable to the development of our character. Great post Kevin!!
I say, AMEN! The destination won't mean as much without the journey. We shouldn't wish it away or get so caught up that we miss what's around us. Beautiful post, Kevin. Thanks.
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Beautiful post. I'm not sure though. You may not intend it, but I can't escape that the destination is Heaven.
I think that maybe they are equal in importance. I think our temptation is to live life for one or the other.
Some of us are so caught up in the "end of time" or in Heaven, that we leave people behind on our "rush" to get there – or our rush to understand it before we're supposed to. We don't live a life with people – walking a road, sometimes carrying one another's burdens. We don't see anything but the prize.
But, I think some of us are so caught up in the journey that we forget there is a destination that has been promised, that makes the pain & sorrow of the journey disappear. We forget that there are people who need that prize too and we are so obsessed with our own journey that we don't take people along. Sometimes we forget that the magnitude of the destination – it's eternal life with God.
Maybe the road and the destination are equally beautiful – equally significant?
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I most certainly agree that it's what happens to us during the journey that matters. THAT, in essence, is our destination. I recently read a great post by Michael Hyatt long these same lines. You may want to give it a read:
http://michaelhyatt.com/2010/07/the-most-importan…
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The journey with Him is also the destination, in my opinion anyway…this quote and Scripture finish my thoughts.
The feeling remains that God is on the journey, too. ~ Teresa Of Avila
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16
Still praying for you brother.
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This life is both about the journey and the destination… without one the other loses its significance…
That's my opinion anyway.
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The journey is the most important part of our lives. The destination is only a small part and we obviously should all know where we're headed, but if we miss the journey we truly miss the point!
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great post! so true. btw, im more of a journey guy myself.
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Guys, I get the "journey is the destination" thing – but man it makes me uncomfortable – I KNOW you guys don't mean it this way, but it "feels" so "new-age-heaven-and-hell-are-state-of-minds-like… I'm not trying to argue, it just doesn't feel right… I think that Paul is not just being metaphorical when he talks about the prize – the prize is eternal life with my Lord. The journey here just won't compare to what we'll experience then… sorry to be a disagree-er
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Thanks for sharing Chris!
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Thanks Jason!
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I hear what you are saying Herb. I do believe that both are equally important.
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Thanks for sharing Scott.
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Thanks for sharing Jay.
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I totally agree Dusty. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for sharing Nathan!
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I think most of us (if not all of us) are all saying the same thing Herb but in different ways. I don't think anyone would say that the destination of heaven is not important. I think most of us are talking about "destinations" in life. For me, it is way to easy for me to just focus on the "destination" of being on the other side of this tragedy but I know that God has a lot to teach me on this journey in the mean time. Does that make sense?
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Yes, perfectly – I think I just got hung up on the "final destination"
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Thanks for your post, Kevin! I think by focusing on the journey and how to take one step at a time the best you can, you will reach the destination in the best possible way.
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I'm so glad you are finally moving on… praying for you. And you're right, the journey is more worthwhile than the destination. This is beautifully written.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing Mike!
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Thanks for sharing Steven!
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Thanks Duane!
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"When we pursue the destination more passionately than we do the journey, we often miss both altogether." When I read that, I think of Ecclesiastes 11:4. It says… Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. There is so much wisdom in that scripture, I will not add to it.
Kevin,
We definitely believe the journey is more important than the destination. So often we achieve something or get somewhere in life and look back to see how much we missed or didn't "see" along the way.
It would be like us driving from here (Edmonton) to Vancouver and blindfolding ourselves to the amazing and beautiful mountainous scenery along the way… wow! would we miss out on a lot.
Without enjoying the journey in our life, it is not just some scenery we're missing out on (which is still pretty awesome), but a part of our lives… and worse yet, a part of us.
Thanks so much for the reminder… and we hope you are healing…
Pat and Lorna http://TheCoolestCouple.com
Thanks for stopping by and sharing Don!
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Thanks for sharing Pat and Lorna!
The healing is coming along one step at a time …
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Sometimes i think the journey is the destination.
And what I really mean is that the journey is always towards being present with God, but God is present with us always. Therefore we don't have to go anywhere but acknowledge he is with us, and on occasion ask, "God how are you in this?"
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Great thoughts Chris!
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