Worst Road Trip Ever

 

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Worst Road Trip EVER

"When will we get there?"  "I'm hungry." "I'm thirsty." "We need to stop." "I'm going to throw up."  "He is bothering me."  "She won't share." "I am bored."  "I asked to stop and you didn't.  My brother asks and you stop!"

In Sunday School class last week, we were reminded that Moses wandering in the desert was like the worst road trip ever. The children of Israel were not much different than most children on a road trip.  The beach (like Canaan) is a wonderful destination but the journey there can be boring,  annoying, stressful, and even perilous.

Chapter 6 of The Story, "Wandering", began with the Israelites following the cloud and pillar which God was using to guide them through the Wilderness--- the ultimate GPS, God's Positioning System.  God thought the people would trust Him, but instead the "Children of Israel" complained about the hardships. "If only we had meat to eat. .. .we never see anything but manna."  " We were better off in Egypt." Even Moses says to God, " .. ..the burden is too heavy for me.  If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me."  God delivered quail. . . .and a plague to those who had no faith.

Next came the sibling squabbles with Aaron and Miriam wondering why God favored Moses over them.. Like many exasperated parents, God paused the trip, took the siblings aside, admonished them, and punished Miriam until Moses begged God to forgive her.

Then, God commanded Moses to send representatives from each ancestral tribe to Canaan to see that it was the land of bounty which God had promised.  But these representatives came back reporting that the people were big---they felt like grasshoppers.  They could never take this land from these people.  Only Caleb trusted that God will give them strength and would provide!

I'm reminded of a road trip in my childhood.  After riding in a hot station wagon with siblings on roads that were not interstates, the end of the day had us hunting for a hotel room.  Dad would stop and Mom would assess it from the front seat, "Too shabby looking."  "Too expensive".  Finally she saw one that looked reasonable, Dad went in and there were no rooms available.  So, we were back on the road again looking for the perfect hotel room for 5 of us within our price range.  Sadly, the perfect one was probably 30 miles behind us when Dad said it was too soon to stop.  Turn back or settle for something less than perfect?

Like an exasperated parent on a road trip, God declared, "None of you, but Caleb  and Joshua, will see the Promised Land.  Turn back and head to the Red Sea. " And, like any family road trip, this was followed by complaints, and tears, and threats and rebellion and fears.  Nothing is worse than realizing, you have to add miles to your trip due to a detour, making a wrong turn, or forgetting to get off the Pennsylvania Turnpike exit with a screaming child---add to that God's anger and 20 more years was not just 20 miles.

After many years (and aggravations),  God finally instructed Moses to go  Mount Nebo where he was able to see the Promised Land.  God said to him " I will give it to your descendants.  I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you will not cross over into it."  Moses died in Moab.

So, after the world's worst road trip with crabby children, detours, hunger, thirst, arguments, Moses was able to see where his children would live.  But, that wouldn't be "a day on the beach at a luxurious resort."  Chapter 7 is entitled, "The Battle Begins" and I can only imagine what faces Joshua who has been chosen to lead.

Photo by Tabea Damm on Unsplash
Jaclyn Morgan

A Room for Rest

Almost 40 years ago, St. Mark hosted a Teen Center for the middle school age kids in the area.  We had over 100 kids, playing basketball, dancing to a DJ, and being social. With that many kids 12 and 13 years old being “social” there was weekly heart break from being shunned, feeling anxious about their looks, and of course arguments. As chaperones, we witnessed a scene almost weekly: a young lady running out of Gleason Hall with friends following in her wake. Sometimes she was sad, other times angry or humiliated. She ran to the restroom where her friends would try to console her, explain themselves, provide comfort, let her vent. When the tears stopped, the comb and fresh make up came out to prepare her to face "the public".

 If this restroom could talk, it would tell you it was a place of sanctuary, providing shelter from the emotional storms of adolescence. It was also a place of reconciliation and a place to freshen up before leaving to face the chaos of the Teen Center. This wasn't just one girl, but one each week. There was so much emotion and comfort in this small "Ladies Rest Room".

 “Oh, God, may St. Mark always be a place of sanctuary for those whose life has been turned upside down in turmoil. May it be a place where we can find answers, comfort and the courage to face others who may have even caused the turmoil."

Written for Discover St. Mark blog as part of a 40 days of Devotions.