The most memorable times of my life have been spent on family vacations. Now that travel is pretty low on our to-do list, it’s kind of fun to look back at those times when we would venture out into the wilderness for “quality” time together. There was the time we packed up half the house with camping gear and headed west for the great outdoors. While driving through one of the tourist towns, our car was rear ended and resulted in hours of sitting at a car repair shop while our car was made drivable again. The perpetrator’s car was filled with stickers that said, “Save the whales – I break for ducklings and Jesus is my co-pilot.” Apparently, he didn’t have one that said, “Safe driver on board.”

Family vacations come with the best of intentions, but they don’t always turn out as we planned. Most of our early years of child rearing we didn’t have a lot of money to spend on those trips, but memories were being created from the start. There were the tent camping days. Pitching a tent as the wind raged around us and rain came pouring down. Sleeping in that same tent as a tornado went through the campgrounds. Our camping years as a family didn’t last long, but my outdoorsy husband made sure the kids got their fill of the wilderness experience over the years.

The trips became more elaborate as time went on, resulting in staying in motels instead of tents. The beauty of those National Parks was beyond amazing. The Road to the Sun, was fogged in when we were there. Still, we pressed on through treacherous roads, but didn’t see much. We were wowed by the wildlife as we ventured through the pristine natural sites. Getting into God’s creation is always a means of getting closer to Him. Eventually our family vacations became somewhat of a quest as the trip progressed. The singing of silly songs had gone silent. Tensions began to mount as we became tired of being together every minute. By the time we reached home, we were barely talking to each other, but the memories still remained.

Our kids are all grown up now with kids of their own. Most of their vacations take them to tropical places, with white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters. I wonder if they needed a change from their childhood family vacations. Our expectations are high in the beginning of those trips, 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. Instead, 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! In the meantime, spend time getting to know your family. You’ll discover just how special they are, and they will be your comfort in your aging years.