Let’s pray:

Lord I come to you humbled that you ask me to be salt & light.  Please use me as your vessel to be your Disciple reaching out to all as the light on the hill.  Please clear my mind & spirit as I listen to your words so that my words & actions become a symbol to all that I come into contact with today & in the future until I sit at the right of Jesus.   Amen.

1 Peter 1:18-21 MSG

^18-21 Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.

The 1^st thing that jumps out at me is “journey you must travel.” Yuck, anyone that knows me knows that I am impatient & hate to travel.  I want to hurry up & get there wherever there is because that is the destination.  The journey & travel is necessary in order to get where I need to be.  I try to consolidate restroom breaks with food & gas stops!

But that is me trying to be in control!  I have to constantly remind myself that I am not in control!  God is in control & HE wants me to take the journey with HIM leading.  HE wants me to drop the “dead end, empty headed life” that I am living.

HE wants me to hope in HIM because HE sacrificed HIS son for me!  HE then raised Christ from the dead for me so that I will be forgiven of my many sins & enjoy the journey.  HE does not promise me that my journey will not have pot holes or bumps in the road.  HE does promise that HE will be there with me & help me if I put my faith & hope in HIM.  Only when I place my hope & faith in God will my life change & my journey becomes as important as my destination.

I had the privilege & honor of knowing Michael Kindle.  He was part of our Small Group.  Michael didn’t say much during our studies.  He just kind of sat back listened to what everyone else said.  I usually ended each small group with Michael, you have been kind of quiet over there, you have anything to add?  He would then give us that Michael smile & proceed to tell us what the Bible said & what Jesus said about our study.  Shortly after he finished, we knew that our small group discussion was complete because nothing else needed to be said.

Michael enjoyed the journey.  He was God’s disciple no matter where he was or what he was doing.  He never missed an opportunity to share God’s love & hope with anyone that would listen.  It was never about Michael it was always about God’s love & hope for each one of us.

However, Michael also savored the destination.  At our last small group Michael told us that he loved each one of us.  He also said (& I don’t remember how it even came up) that “whenever the good Lord takes him, he will be ready.”

I pray that I can slow down & enjoy the journey.  It might be bumpy at times but with my faith & hope in God & my memories of Michael, I know that I will get through anything life throws at me.  I pray that I will be ready whenever opportunities come to express & show my love & hope in GOD.

When Michael Jordan was playing basketball, there was a saying “Be like Mike”.  I pray that I can be like Michael.

Are you enjoying the journey?  I would love to hear from you!

With faith & hope,

Jerry