Last week I traveled to my mother’s house and back. It sounds like an easy trip, but it takes over eight and a half hours of drive time one way, not counting stopping for necessities.

This journey is consistently full of exciting experiences and near misses. This time we encountered a semi weaving all over the road, another one almost driving off the road, a car flying by at an excessive rate of speed, road construction, a vehicle that almost came to a stop in front of us on the highway for road construction, deer, and a combine driving down the middle of the road unexpectedly. One stretch of highway in Illinois is so rough it felt worse than gravel as I switched lanes with every new series of potholes. Our trip was interesting, disrupted, scary, and time-consuming.

Why endure all of this? One simple fact, I wanted to get home. I wanted to see my mom, and I wanted to return my place here in Missouri.

Life for a believer is much the same. It is a quest to get home. I want to see our Creator and Savior. I desire to spend time in his presence, along with all the other saints in glory. I pray my family is there, and the joy of the Lord will be overwhelming for us all.

This week and this month are sure to be full of crazy and unexpected twists and turns. It’s okay; it is all part of the journey home.