Summer vacations – ah, the days of swimming at the lake, long walks, lazy days, fun times with family. I remember one family vacation in particular when our two oldest were in high school and our youngest just entering her tweens. We looked forward to that trip and planned it for months. It”s always important to choose a place that everyone will agree on. Our happy place is out west. Our kids grew up following their dad through nature on trail hikes. They enjoyed cross country skiing. Our youngest would be carried in a papoose like device on my husband’s back. I love the outdoors too, but much prefer sleeping in a bed rather than on the hard ground inside of a bag. We resembled the Clark Griswold family as we loaded up the car with everything but the kitchen sink. That might have been in there too, for all I know. The trip began by making our way out of the crowded city to miles and miles of prairie. The cries of “are we there yet,” permeated the inside of our vehicle. We tried to fill the empty space with camp songs, old spiritual songs, television theme songs – you name it, we sang it.

Eventually the landscape began to change. The flatlands of Minnesota and North Dakoka gave way to the beginnings of the National Park system. I never realized there was another “Badlands,” in North Dakota. Teddy Roosevelt National Park was a surprise in its beauty and majesty. Animals of various types would crossroads without a care and mountain sheep could be seen traversing across the crags and bluffs. For the most part the trip was a beautiful feast for the eyes. Not to mention the peaks and valleys we experienced emotionally.

Traveling for two weeks in a van with five people who love to do different things, eventually turned into a monumental quest to make it to the coast. At that point – when the sun looked like it had taken a vacation of its own – we began to get on each other’s nerves. No matter what we tried, we were turning into a bunch of crabby people who weren’t getting along much. 

Sometimes the things we plan for in life don’t always turn out the way we want. Our expectations are high in the beginning, then we fall prey to disappointment. Our natural tendency is to feel sorry for ourselves and try to plan things that won’t discourage us. As with most things in life, we like to maintain control over our path.  By doing so, were setting ourselves up for disappointment. When we do that, we become discouraged – we cave to disappointment – we even lose hope.

Still, even in the roughest of times – or the hiccups of every day – God tells us not to be discouraged. He has wonderful things in store for us. The truth is, we aren’t going to have smooth sailing in this world, but our future life in eternity will be a breeze!