On 23 January, we embarked on a road trip from Melbourne to Queensland via Sydney. It was a 20-hour drive, which was more like 30 hours to us, as being seniors (husband, me, sister, brother-in-law) had to stop a few hours, for toilet breaks, tummy breaks, leg cramp breaks! We had to rest at two hotels for the night as this was for safety reasons. The roads are long stretches, and like a child, I kept asking, “Are we there yet?”
The roads from Melbourne to Sydney along the coast offered a mix of scenic drives, cultural experiences and natural beauty, but the lengthy stretch of the travel made us at times anxious, uncertain and exhausted.
When we finally reached Queensland, glad to see my daughter and family, we could only thank the good Lord for His kindness, mercy and protection as we could have met dangers and harm if not focused on the road. The GPS and petrol stations were our “guardian angels” for without them, forget the idea of a road trip. An excellent driver is also needed and thank God for my brother-in-law, who was enduring, persevering and courageous. However, we had to keep him awake, so the trivial chats never ended until we stopped for rest. Some emergency pitstops were made, but indeed they were pits, and if you have a sensitive nature, they are not the best way to do your number ones or worse number 2s. I was so scared to be sucked into the deep hole of the pit and I had nightmares afterwards about their messy sights.
Will I do a road trip again? I don’t think so. Two hours of travel to a destination is long enough. But have I gained anything from it?
The writer of Harden Knocks shares that travel teaches us wisdom, when we step outside our daily environment – our hometown, our culture, our routines – we begin to see how vast God’s world really is and how much beauty lies within it. Travel expands our perspective, helping us see life through different lenses.
She continues by saying that …life is a gift from God, and He shapes us through every experience we walk through. For the Christian, there is no separation between “life” and “spiritual life.” Whether you travel for pleasure or for purpose, it all becomes an opportunity for spiritual growth and deeper intimacy with Christ.
Travelling isn’t a distraction from life – it’s part of it. As we walk the streets of other cultures and learn their customs, we grow in compassion and grace. We weren’t meant to spend our lives confined to the four walls of our homes. We live in a time when travel is more accessible than ever, and we should steward that opportunity well.
She writes that travel has reminded her often that God’s work is not confined to one place, one culture, or one way of doing things. It’s through stepping outside our own world that we often see Him more clearly. It has allowed her to both sufferings and blessings firsthand, and it fuelled her desire to reach people, relate to them, and love them well.
The best insight she gave me is the wisdom that travel requires flexibility, patience, and discernment. If you’ve ever been on the road, you know that nothing ever goes exactly as planned. It is trusting God through every transition, every ride, every move, every detour, every danger that is avoided. We find God not in comfort, but in unfamiliar situations.
Being in unknown places makes us acutely aware of our need for God. We pray more, asking for protection, patience, and direction, because suddenly, we are not in control. It is trusting God that He is already there, going before you. When we are stripped of comfort, familiarity, routine and predictability, it is very scary, and learning to surrender to God is, at best, a great lesson and virtue to hold on to.
On this road trip, I highly claim and appreciate the verse of the Psalmist:
The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121:7-8)
The Christian life, as writer Derek Thomas says, is a road trip – a journey of the most exhilarating kind. It has a starting point and a terminus. It is a metaphor of movement. Christians do not stay in one place too long, for they are set in another location. A Christian attests: “I am a Pilgrim and I am heading for the celestial city.”
