| Category: | Inspirational |
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Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. Maybe we see ourselves on a long trip spanning a great distance. Maybe we're traveling by train. Through the windows we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, city skylines and village halls, children waving at a crossing, cattle grazing on a distant hillside, smoke pouring out of a power plant, row upon row of corn and wheat, expanses of flatland giving way to rolling hillsides, mountains, and valleys.
But, uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour we will pull into "the station." Bands will play and flags will be wave. Once we get there, many wonderful things will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. While on the train, we restlessly pace the aisles, impatiently waiting—waiting for the station.
"When we reach the station, that will be it!" we cry. "When I'm 18!" "When I can buy a new car!" "When I've put my last kid through college!" "When I've paid off the mortgage!" "When I reach the age of retirement! Finally, I'll live happily ever after!"
Sooner or later we must realize there is no station, no specific place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. Reaching some imaginary station is just an illusion. It constantly outdistances us.
"Relish the moment!" is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24: "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." So, stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb the mountains, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less. Stop and smell the roses.