I was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana–not exactly a metropolis of activity or opportunity. So when we wanted to check out the latest “fun stuff” that would never make it to our “neck of the woods,” we loaded the car and headed west–destination: Dallas. Back in those days, with inferior road conditions and lower speed limits, it was almost a four hour drive to get there. Well, at least the speed limit has improved.
Now, four hours doesn’t sound like a very long time to my adult self. But to Melinda, the child, it sounded like an absolute eternity. Of course, this was long before the days of entertainment systems INSIDE the vehicle. There were no handheld video games or mobile music players either. We could read a book, but that made me bored and it made my sister puke. We could observe the scenery, but between Shreveport and Dallas, that left a bit to be desired–especially after traveling that same route dozens of times before.
Let’s face it, for a young child, a four hour trip with NOTHING to do can drag on FOREVER! So, it always thrilled me when I noticed the car slowing a bit and veering to the right in order to exit for a potty break. We always stopped at the very same spot every single trip–the McDonald’s at Lindale. During that stop, we emptied everything that was full and filled everything that was empty, which often involved ice cream. But that was only part of the reason Lindale, Texas brought me such joy. A bigger source of my elation rested in the fact that we were slightly beyond the half-way mark on our endless journey. There was a little more road behind us than there was before us, and that’s always good news when the destination is as enticing as Big D.
These memories flooded my mind the other day while I was out walking in my neighborhood. Perhaps it was my realization that I had fewer steps ahead of me than behind me. Who knows? But I started thinking about the same concept as it relates to this journey we call life. You see, I will soon celebrate a significant birthday that pretty well seals the deal for me–there are officially, or at least statistically, more years behind me than before me. The odd thing is–that realization didn’t really bring me the same joy as an ice cream cone at the Lindale McDonald’s. And it has absolutely nothing to do with ice cream.
So, I started thinking about why it’s so much more exciting to be over half-way on a vacation trip or time spent on the treadmill, but not so much with life-span. I mean, let’s be honest, Destination: Dallas sounds a whole lot better than Destination: Death. But why? For the believer, death is the passageway into God’s presence, where we will experience His goodness and share in His glory FOREVER! Not even soft-serve can compare to the sweetness of His affection and the pleasure of His attention. There is no place on this earth and no luxury to be enjoyed that can equal the ecstasy of heaven.
So, when the sun rises on this next birthday, I will rejoice that I am closer to the end than I am to the beginning because it means I am drawing ever closer to Destination: Jesus!