Life is a Highway

We have been on a crazy journey this last week and half. Seems fitting to call it a journey as much as we love to travel. A thousand things have run through my mind as I process things. Just 9 days ago we set out on one of our many family trips. We loaded two vans this time and took off for the mountains. We stopped at McDonald's for dinner and arrived late in the evening. We took time exploring our new surroundings and enjoying being together. Then we crashed into bed. The next day started as normal and we went out for our first excursion. Dad wanted to sleep in. He had a busy day before and a late night. It wasn't unusual for this just turned 70 year old man to want to sleep in if he could. He insisted we go on and then he went back to sawing some logs...loudly. So we left. A few hours later we returned and life changed forever. Dad ended up taking his final road trip. He went ahead of us to meet Jesus. His slumber turned into real life and his weak body gained a whole new strength. It was a horrible moment for those of us left behind in this crazy life but somehow we'll keep going and enjoy it the best we can. Dad would insist that we live to the fullest. It was hard to load those vans back up and return home so early and minus one person. It was hard to make plans to say good bye and then actually do it. It was hard to look in the eyes of so many people who just saw him yesterday full of life and breath and asking "why" and "what happened" to each other. It was hard to hear my babies asking about Grandaddy and then explaining the best I could on their level. It's been hard to talk about and hard not to talk about with everyone I've seen since. I love my Daddy. I'm grateful to have 2 fabulous fathers. Both looking down on me from Heaven now. I miss my earthly father tremendously and wish he was here to hug one more time. I miss sharing so many things with him like Auburn, golf, history, my kids antics, spiritual talks and traveling. The song "Life is a highway" keeps popping in my head these days. The first verse starts this way... Life's like a road that you travel on   /   When there's one day here and the next day gone   /   Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand   /   Sometimes you turn your back to the wind   /    Then I found this from King David... How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me. (Psalm 13:1-6 NIV84) Thank you God for your unfailing love and salvation! I trust in you to ease my pain and help me overcome. I know you will be with me always on this highway of life. Taking me around the sharp curves and holding me up at the sudden stops. You will guide me away from dead ends and push me over the speed bumps.