Embracing the journey

It was legendary author Charles Dickens, who penned the immortal words, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … ”

Those words capture the essence of a trip I took to visit my oldest daughter, who was living in Asia at the time.

After not seeing Johanna for well over a year, I was thrilled to once again be with her.

However, during our visit we both came down with some terrible intestinal bug. The chills, fever and vomiting were made even more unpleasant by the absence of indoor plumbing. The weakness that followed days of being sick was also challenging.

Despite that, my memories of that trip are about more than our illness.

I recall the joy of meeting my daughter in the middle of the night at an airport five hours from her home. There was also the pleasure of tasting new foods and getting to experience what her daily life was like.

I had the joy of meeting the family she lived with and seeing how much they loved her. I got to meet the team she worked with, which was made up of believers from Germany, England, Switzerland and Canada.

I not only got to experience the life of my daughter, I also experienced the majestic beauty of the Himalayan mountains where she was living. I marveled at a fresh coat of snow that fell at the higher elevations one night. I admired the beauty of waterfalls that thundered down the sides of mountains.

The trip was full of new experiences, the joy of spending time with my daughter and the frustration of being so sick I longed to be home in my own bed.

For me it really was the best of times and the worst of times.

However, I choose to focus on the best — delightful moments with my daughter, new friends I made and new memories we created. The illness has not been forgotten, it is part of the journey, but it is not what I choose to focus on as the trip’s defining moment.

I continue to make a conscious decision to do what the Apostle Paul encourages, “Whatever happens my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord…” (Philippians 3:1, NLT)

Paul was not pretending everything in Philippi was good. He remained content in the knowledge that good things were happening, and he chose to thank God for them instead of dwelling on challenges he could not change.

Each of us can make the same choice … to focus on the good, not the bad, to celebrate the joy instead of becoming mired down in the challenges.

I am not suggesting it is easy to change our habit of getting stuck in life’s difficult moments, it is not. However, we can change our focus and express our gratitude to God for a journey filled with his incredible blessings.

Tim Richards grew up in Fairdealing and previously served as associate pastor of Pilgrim’s Rest Church there. He currently serves as a pastor on the staff of Concord Church in South County St. Louis.