"On Our Way Rejoicing!"

Blogging on the road…isn’t easy. I didn’t mean to drop off the face of the earth…but computer challenges and a tight schedule have kept me from getting on line until now. Who wants to waste a blog…right?? so please back up two weeks with me and we will begin to move forward from there.
You would think with all the traveling we have done as a family, I would have entered the empty nest years with all systems in place to make an organized, timely exit...not so. Traveling with five girls (two plus year spacing between each of them) held its challenges…making sure all their clothes were packed, hair bows and hair paraphernalia packed, diapers, wipes, fence, stroller, project bags etc… preparing to be gone for months at a time left my head spinning trying to remember everything that had to get packed.
Well, not much has changed…just different challenges. A couple weeks ago life got crazy. I wanted to be so organized…washed, ironed and packed clothes, itinerary for visiting friends and supporters in place, clean house, plants watered,…you name it…when Dan was ready to hit the road I wanted to have everything loaded, ready to go.
Well, we were supposed to leave yesterday, Tuesday at noon, and right now it is 6:00 Wednesday evening and the clock is still ticking…tick-tock…tick-tock. What used to hold us up was an emergency with a child…perhaps a dirty diaper walking out the door, 5 returns to the house because we forgot something…or a vehicle malfunction. Rather than last minute family demands…now it is last minute ministry requests, “Oh, and by the way could you do this before you leave…or I need this from you today by noon…or we need to get these photos down-loaded before you leave.
It is now midnight and Dan just laid down to get a little sleep. All is quiet and I am collecting my thoughts, running through my lists, and locating certain things I couldn’t find earlier. Me sleep?? Not a chance! I’m too wound up…there is no way I can get my mind to relax until we get on the road.
3:00 am… we are “On our way rejoicing!” I’m reminiscing my childhood…every trip began with my mom announcing, “On Our Way Rejoicing” followed by my dad praying for God’s blessing and protection on our trip. This tradition carried over to our family…I would yell “On Our Way Rejoicing” to be heard above the arguments of who was going to get the window and who was going to sit next to who… now I announce it into the quiet of the night. My how life has changed! I miss the chaos, loud chatter, arguing, laughter, crying, and singing. How blessed we are…so many rich family memories we can relive over and over again.
We have this moment to hold in our hands…
To touch as it slips through our fingers like sand.
Yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come,
But we have this moment today. (Gloria Gaither)
Take time to make lasting memories today…they will help carry you through tomorrow.