Journey Reflection- Driving in the Dark

This week, I drove from Boise City, Oklahoma to Waco, Texas. Talk about contrasts- flat brown land planted with rows of wind generators gave way to the trees and suburbs of Amarillo.  A decent size place- certainly big enough to confuse me! I missed the road south to Waco- "No, I don't want to go to Oklahoma City, do I?"  Well, no I didn't want Oklahoma City but that was the road I wanted.


Why is it that we think we have all the information we need? I had looked at the map, I thought I would recognize all the route numbers.  This is the hard part of traveling solo. Guide books, maps or detailed directions really need another person to read along the way.  On the other hand, I rarely argue with myself over which route to take. rarely.


So off to Lubbock, which is smaller than I expected from studying the map. I was halfway around the bypass route when I realized that there couldn't be two airports... I was definitely going back toward Amarillo.  Luckily, my son, Scott, had called and was looking at his maps so he directed me to the correct road. So, you don't really need a traveling companion if you have a helpful friend or son to give you some aid.  For anyone interested, I went south on US Hwy 84 to Abiliene and on to Waco.  


I had made a decision to only drive six hours each day... until I got off on a late start and drove in darkness to Boise City, next to Nowhere, OK. Driving in the dark, not knowing my destination, confronted by commercial trucks racing their routes was hard.


 I was scared, I was lonely, I was questioning my decision to have a life of adventure. 

But I had found a place to park- a good night's sleep does much to banish the demons of tired isolation. And I wanted to get to Waco - quickly. So again, I found myself in the dark, driving country roads between small towns in rural America. 

But this trip was different. I had a destination. Scott and his wife, Lindsay, were expecting me. We had spoken and they were following my route. I knew I could count on them to give me good directions to their home.  I hadn't really been alone driving across the emptiness of Colorado and they weren't physically with me as I traveled to Texas but I knew they were there. Waiting. 


 I couldn't help but think- knowing someone is waiting for you at the other end is a comfort we all seek.  We don't want to go through life alone, isolated, confronting the big trucks of cancer or aging or poverty on a dark road - alone.  We long for Someone to give us accurate directions. We crave a comforting Voice- "You're on the right road. I'll be waiting for you to get here".


Yes, my journey will have adventure because I chose it; I don't think we give up all our options when we decide to listen to His voice. And with adventure comes uncertainty. But when I'm going toward a destination rather than driving blindly in the dark, there is an undeniable comfort.  

I knew that I wasn't relying on just myself and my resources for the trip to Waco and I'm comforted to know I'm also not driving solo on the bigger Journey.