Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 137:7-11

    Summer is just about here! Vacations are either just around the corner or about to start. So often as we plan our trips, make our itineraries, and figure out what we want to take along with us we forget to pack the most important thing: our commitment to Christ.

    Let me explain briefly what I mean. When on vacation, many folks often skip church altogether and don’t even bother to honor the Lord’s Day by having a family devotional, not taking time to remember what God has done for us in Jesus. It's easy for us to let our language slip and our character slide with the rigors of travel and the encounters we have with rude people. Our daily time with God can get lost in the shuffle of travel. Our personal spiritual disciplines can lie neglected. Financial commitments to the Lord, and to his work through our local congregation can be completely neglected so we can have enough for that special vacation. Our summer can become a spiritual wasteland from which we have to recover in the Fall.

    So when we leave on vacation this year, let's plan with the Lord’s honor and glory in mind? If we have children, let's help them see the value of taking Jesus with them wherever they go! Let's watch our character, language, and courtesy as we bump into others, so that they get a taste of Jesus and his grace from us. Let's ask the Lord to bless us to his glory in our travels. Let's say a special prayer of blessing as we depart from time with relatives and friends where we have stayed. Let's plan a special trip to a church that needs our encouragement or visit ministers or missionaries that need a bit of blessing -- being careful not to impose on them, but to be a blessing to them. Let's take the opportunity of the summer to have some worship renewal time, maybe even go to a spiritual conference or camp!

The LORD has a way of doing some mighty amazing things...

    The LORD has a way of doing some mighty amazing things if we will consciously take him along in our travels! Not only can he use us to bless others, we find that when our travel is over, we have drawn closer to our King and feel more confident in his presence.

    Oh, by the way... these thoughts are not just for vacations, they work for any trip! You don’t have to just trust me, listen to this little story from another traveler who shared here busy travel story with us!

I really have not been looking forward to this trip to Texas this week. I’m going to see some new software that our current software company is presenting. I love to go to new places, but on my own terms, and without the whole airport/rental car/hotel scenario. Give me my Saturn and a suitcase and a nice bed and breakfast, I’ll be happy.

    So anyway, I haven’t been doing great this week — feeling a little sorry for myself, dreading the packing and unpacking, not wanting to get behind at work, etc. I had been praying for peace for this trip and wasn’t finding it.

    Last night, as I was struggling to get motivated to pack and feeling sorry for myself, I went into the kitchen to rinse out a glass. Sitting there on the counter, in plain sight, was the cross necklace that had been missing for months. I had looked high and low for it, and thought it must have fallen down the drain or something.

    For me, it was like the Lord said, “I’m here, don’t forget to take Me on your trip and it won’t be so bad.”

    God really does work in mysterious ways, and I keep finding Him in the strangest places.
(from Karen Byrne kbyrne@suncommunities.com)

    So as you make your plans for your latest trip, here’s one suggestion for you, don’t forget to take your commitment to Jesus along with you!

Title: "Don't Forget to Pack This"
Author: Phil Ware
Publication Date: May 28, 2001

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