Trip of a Lifetime

So I prepare to go on vacation. I leave tomorrow morning and I have not even BEGUN to pack. I will be gone for three weeks; so what do you take for three weeks away from home. My wife and I will be going on a trip to Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and ending in Northern Europe for a few days of bum-around-time.

I study. I took a CD class on Egyptology and got all the recommended books for the tour. I even bought a few extras for good measure. I looked at maps of where we are going and I checked online for temperatures. Clothes are a problem, normally I go to Walmart and buy some cheap golf shirts and then leave them there so I have more room in my suitcase for trinkets on the return journey. My wife and I did some experimenting with underwear, believe it or not. There is “special” underwear out there that washes easy and dries quickly so we only need to take a few pairs. As we get close to leaving I will pack to airport standards: carryon size, no liquid, not overweight, get there early, have passport and ticket in hand, take off shoes and belt, and so on.

We have been planning for a year for this trip, the trip of a lifetime. But packing only a few hours before and I know I will forget something important, like my camera or my special underwear. Planning for trips take time and energy.

How is your planning going? Are you ready for your trip of a lifetime? I mean really THE trip of your lifetime. We spend all this time and energy on going from the US to another country, even another state or even grandma’s house but what about THE trip of our lifetime?
The greatest journey you will ever take is the one that begins the second you close your eyes on this earth for the last time. You will breathe your last breath as if in anticipation of this great journey. Shakespeare called it “The Undiscovered Country.” But most of us don’t spend anytime preparing for this journey. We spend no time studying about where we will spend eternity. We spend little time packing the things that are going to last in this country. The Bible calls that storing up treasure in heaven, meaning that we can actually send “stuff” ahead to be there for us when we get there. We don’t even worry about the monetary exchange rate there. Oh yes, there is a use for money in heaven but you have to exchange it for the currency you can take with you. So before you head off on that journey you need to exchange all your money and possessions for the one thing that you can take: LOVE. Exchange your dollars for love of your neighbor and love of God and you will not only lighten your burden on this world but you will find bags and bags of love waiting for you on YOUR trip of a lifetime.