ENJOY THE EXPEDITION (July 14 - August 3, 2018)

After three weeks of learning the ins and outs of being an interim Pastor in Eagle River, Alaska, the next three weeks have been spent settling in to the routine of life and ministry.  Sherry and I have grown to love the special folks who call the Church of the Nazarene home.  We have also enjoyed being so blessed as to view God's creative goodness all around us.

The church seems to be on pretty solid ground with attendances and finances holding their own while they wait to welcome a new pastor (no news yet).  It never ceases to amaze me how the ties that bind us together as Christians extend well beyond geographical limits.  We feel as loved here as anywhere during our nearly 50 years of ministry.

The beauty of God's people is matched by the beauty of the area around us.  A short drive is all that is needed to be captivated by the Alaskan scenery.  It seems like every time we round a bend in the road that we comment on how breath taking the view.  We are about half way through our stay, have enjoyed it so much, and are anxious to see what the next six weeks hold.

Part of the routine, for me, includes a 12 miles drive up to the Eagle River Nature Center and back on days when I have a vehicle.  This drive provides spectacular mountain views and the opportunity to see some of the Alaskan wildlife.  I have learned the fine art of timing and observing.  I know that it is important to keep your eyes on the road but I confess it is difficult with so much going on along side of the road.  It is the tension of driving with an awareness of the surroundings as well as the road.

Such drives have yielded sightings of bear, beaver, moose, and eagles.  The sightings are the result of patience, perseverance, and alertness.



                          REFLECTIONS 

I am afraid that sometimes on the road of life we get so focused on the road ahead of us that we neglect to see the vistas and beautiful things that are all around us.  We drive by at such high speeds that there is no way we can spot what God might want us to see.

We drive, we push, we rush past some things or people that God might want us to pause and enjoy.  We brag about how fast we have "arrived" but have nothing to really show for the journey. 

I know that it is vitally important to keep our eyes on the road, the goal, but to what loss?  Someday we will all come to the end of our road.  I know that, for me, I want to reach that terminus and not just have completed my journey but have, also, spent time along the way alert to what the Lord had placed near my path.

The successful excursion is not the one that has reached its destination but the one that in so doing that has yielded moments of complete amazement and awe.