I've been a truck driver the majority of my adult life. 28 years driving the highways of America. I've logged over 2.5 million miles in that time. I've moved a lot of different freight using different types of trailers. No matter what I'm hauling there have always been two constants. Two things that never change.
1. I had a destination.
2. I had a map to get me there.
Anytime we set a course for our lives, doesn't really matter what it is, we must have a destination and a map. Many of us are content to wander through life. We "happen" to get married, find a job, a place to live, have kids. We see life as a Sunday afternoon drive. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. As the saying goes, "Life happens", whether we plan for it or not. What I'm talking about is when we deliberately set a direction for our lives. College, career, goals, anything that requires a predetermined outcome. That's "destination".
For our family that destination has become Honduras. The problem with destinations and journeys is that most of the time they are a long way off. It's easy to become discouraged, disheartened, overwhelmed with the amount of time and effort and expense it will take to reach the destination. That's been me this past week. I began to question the validity of this particular destination, the amount of effort and money required to reach it was becoming overwhelming. The fear of the unknowns cast shadows of doubt over the certainties. I felt myself becoming disheartened.
![]()
Road signs come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors and languages. Some have words or numbers, others have pictures or symbols. Some are clear, understandable. Others...not so much. I have found in life that the "signs" we are given are much the same. Sometimes the road is clearly marked, other times we need to ask someone who has travelled this way before to help.
Last week I really needed to see a road sign. I needed to know we were still on the right track. Yesterday I saw the sign I needed to reaffirm our direction. My confidence was renewed. I was reassured that, yes, we are still headed in the right direction. In my opinion, road signs for life are just as important as road signs for the highway. However, even when we do have signs and maps, it doesn't mean that the journey is not without diversions, detours and delays. These things are all part of what makes the journey unique, interesting and exciting.
In my next post I'm going to write about the map. How we plan to get to the destination. The route we'll take. The stops along the way. Even the sightseeing we do. I want to share some of the lessons I'm learning as we plan for the journey to Honduras.
1. I had a destination.
2. I had a map to get me there.
Anytime we set a course for our lives, doesn't really matter what it is, we must have a destination and a map. Many of us are content to wander through life. We "happen" to get married, find a job, a place to live, have kids. We see life as a Sunday afternoon drive. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. As the saying goes, "Life happens", whether we plan for it or not. What I'm talking about is when we deliberately set a direction for our lives. College, career, goals, anything that requires a predetermined outcome. That's "destination".
For our family that destination has become Honduras. The problem with destinations and journeys is that most of the time they are a long way off. It's easy to become discouraged, disheartened, overwhelmed with the amount of time and effort and expense it will take to reach the destination. That's been me this past week. I began to question the validity of this particular destination, the amount of effort and money required to reach it was becoming overwhelming. The fear of the unknowns cast shadows of doubt over the certainties. I felt myself becoming disheartened.
Over the course of my career I have learned the importance of road signs. I cannot tell you how many times I have begun to question whether or not I was still on the right road, literally. Maybe I had missed a turn and was headed in the wrong direction. The reason for my doubt was this; I had seen no road signs for many miles confirming I was still on the right road. (This was before GPS.) Finally I would see a sign, US Highway 30. Immediately uncertainty would vanish and I would drive ahead, confident I was still on track.
Road signs come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors and languages. Some have words or numbers, others have pictures or symbols. Some are clear, understandable. Others...not so much. I have found in life that the "signs" we are given are much the same. Sometimes the road is clearly marked, other times we need to ask someone who has travelled this way before to help.
Last week I really needed to see a road sign. I needed to know we were still on the right track. Yesterday I saw the sign I needed to reaffirm our direction. My confidence was renewed. I was reassured that, yes, we are still headed in the right direction. In my opinion, road signs for life are just as important as road signs for the highway. However, even when we do have signs and maps, it doesn't mean that the journey is not without diversions, detours and delays. These things are all part of what makes the journey unique, interesting and exciting.
In my next post I'm going to write about the map. How we plan to get to the destination. The route we'll take. The stops along the way. Even the sightseeing we do. I want to share some of the lessons I'm learning as we plan for the journey to Honduras.
 |
| One of the trucks I've had with one of the car trailers. |
No comments:
Post a Comment