| How is your journey |
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Some years ago, and a few miles into its maiden voyage, a prestigious cruise liner limped back to port with engine  troubles. Its passengers had to disembark and were accommodated in a five-star hotel whilst engineers set to work. Disappointed passengers were interviewed by reporters. One man’s comment was particularly pithy: Similingly he said, ’ We went nowhere – but we did it in style!’ I wonder how many people liver their lives like that – going nowhere, but doing it is style?
Unlike our ancestors of even one hundred years ago, we live in an age of travel. I find it quite easy therefore to think of life as a journey; each day offering us new opportunities. There are always new things to learn, to see, to hear, to do, as we walk with our Good Shepherd leading us. For the greater part of my life most of my travelling was done by car until the day came when I decided to surrender my own personal ‘travel capsule’. Only then did I realise that indeed it was like a well-insulated capsule, inside which travelled the people of my choice. I was in my own little world. Joining the ranks of the car-less and becoming a bus and train user opened me up to a new world. I started to develop the skill of chatting and being pleasant to complete strangers. This did not come naturally to me, but I was motivated by the thought that every person who comes into my life, however briefly, is dearly loved by God. And so, before embarking on a long coach or train journey, I now ask God to give me the right travelling companion. The result of that is that I have met some beautiful people, have had some most meaningful conversations, and have even prayed with people as we travelled! Yes, we were travelling geographically but some of us were also travelling spiritually – getting somewhere and not nowhere. Our eternal home is with God and Jesus has gone ahead of us to provide a place for us. Mother Teresa once said that loneliness is the scourge of Western society. There are many people who are skilled at presenting the stylish image but deep down they are lonely and afraid with no assurance of their destination. We can ask God to give us the right word to speak to those we meet on our journey. By Marie Kane-Dudley |
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