I have had the privilege of traveling to quite a few places in my lifetime, since I became a ‘missionary kid’ at the age of four. I was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in the United States, and raised in South Africa. I have also been to Canada, Cape Verde, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Israel, and Bolivia. Now this may not seem like a large parcel of places compared to those who can afford a vacation to another country every year, but on the other side, it may be quite extensive to those who have never left their home town. As you can see it is all subjective and a matter of perception. I for one do cherish the memories that I have made over the years and would not trade these experiences for the world, and if I had the time and the means, I would love to add even more destinations to this list. However, in the case of most of these, I was just a sojourner.
Advertising and marketing are multi-million-dollar industries. When you plan a trip, whether for a short stay or changing of your residency, there is a lot of planning that goes into it. You must decide whether you are wanting to go on a winter or summer vacation. Depending on the activities you are wanting to engage in, and what side of the equator you are planning to go to. From there, you check into choices of where you will stay. Because of the amount of travel done in certain seasons, due to vacation times or school being out, it is wise to first book your accommodations, if not, you will arrive and find you have no place to stay or you will pay premium prices for a less desirable place. You must then determine the mode of travel you will use. There are many options, but it will depend on where you are going and how fast you want to get there. If you go by airplane, you will not have a vehicle when you arrive, therefore, you will need to arrange for one. Of course, if you are going overseas, driving is not an option, however, you could go by airplane or ship. If you are traveling camping style, you could take a trailer, pull a car, haul bicycles, and other recreational vehicles. You can see where the transportation options are endless. However, a decision must be made, for your plan to go smoothly because depending on your choice, you may have to then purchase tickets, and this will be another entirely full bag of choices within itself.
Wow, that was a lot, but do not get lax yet, your preparations are not over. Now, depending on where you have decided to go, and the weather, and all, yes, all, the activities that will be going on, you will have to decide if you have the appropriate attire for each event. You do not want to arrive with only swimming gear, if you know you will be going out to eat at an elegant place or event. Neither do you want to only have formal wear if you will be going hiking. You get the gist of my point; hence I said all the activities. If you are a parent, especially a mother in these cases, you are thinking of all of this, regarding the entire family. What if you get dressed up and you have forgotten your husband’s belt or socks? Oft times, you would just have to ‘make do,’ but this could make for some unhappy campers, if you know what I mean, in your crew on occasion because of this. Yes, there are a lot of details to going on vacation. Therefore, planning, lists are made, and shopping is done, weeks and maybe months before the actual ‘go’ time. No, I am not a travel agent or expert, so I do not claim to have all the answers, and this is by no means an all-inclusive list.
Now if you have various activities you are wanting to cram into you brief time in one place, because you have never been there before, and you do not know if you will be able to come back, there is the small matter of coordinating these. What days will we do what, and where will we be, and when? Do we need to buy tickets in advance for these events? The investigation begins. Now what if you pay entrance fees in advance and they are not refundable, and something happens? Well, many times this is just a decision that must be made, and you must ‘bite the bullet’ by faith, hoping that all goes as planned.
If you are travelling internationally, finding out what currency the country uses and if you need to seek out the exchange rate and exchange some money, comes into the picture. In the United States, we use the US dollar, and there are a lot of countries that will accept this, but possibly not all. Spain uses the Euro, Switzerland, the Swiss Franc, South Africa, the Rand, Nepal, the Nepalese’s Rupee, Iraq, the Iraq Dinar, Kenya, the Kenyan Shilling, Russia, the Russian Ruble and Mexico, the Mexican Peso, just to name a few out of approximately 195 countries in the world. International travel may also bear the question of language barriers. Do you need to have a guide set up, will there be those who can understand English, or do you need to buy a language book for that country? You may also need to familiarize yourself with the culture and customs of the people there, as to not be offensive or get into a compromising or dangerous situation. You will also need to have current passports for the entire family and possibly visitor’s visas. Have you decided to stay home yet?
There are so many wonderful places to see in this world, and with the advent of news print, radio, television, and the internet, of which we did not have all of these when I was a child, many have had the opportunity to experience these virtually. Through National Geographic magazines and the Discovery and Travel channels we can see some of the wonders of the world and may have the desire to go and see for ourselves, and in the 21st century we see on social media or hear from our friends where they have been and want to experience those places for ourselves, if not for the love of travel and adventure, just to keep up with ‘the Joneses’. However, for whatever the reason is that you are wanting to take a trip, when we make the decision to travel, we must put in the work to make it successful.
The ‘Seven Wonders of the World’ could mean different things to different people, depending on the list you read or whether you want to see the Modern world, natural world, or ancient worlds. We know that we are all individuals, therefore not all will like outdoors and the outdoor types, would hate a vacation of just indoor activities such as museums. Variety is certainly the spice of life. The first list I came across was The Taj Mahal in India, The Colosseum in Italy, The Chichen Itza in Mexico, Machu Picchu in Peru, Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, Petra, in Jordan and The Great Wall of China. These were followed by Alternative places on different lists like, The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, The Leaning Tower of Piza, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Lighthouse of Alexandria, The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, and The Colossus of Rhodes. And so, the lists can go on. Each place having its own story equally as compelling as the next. Stories of love and loss, power and prestige, intrigue, grandeur, innovation, pilgrimage, discovery, redemption, history, rise and fall, heritage, and rags to riches. The world is grand and out there for all to see. You must just make that small decision that puts everything in motion, “Where are we going?”
There are many ways to describe the activity of traveling and the person doing the traveling. The word travel according to the dictionary means, ‘to go from place to place, to go on or as if on a trip or tour.’ Journey means, ‘an act or instance of traveling from one place to another.’ Passing through means, ‘to move in a given direction, or path, or through a given distance.’ Sojourn means, ‘a temporary stay, a stay at a temporary residence.’ Couchsurfing is a late twentieth century adopted word which means, ‘to stay temporarily in a series of other people’s homes, typically by sleeping on their sofas.’ This had become such a thing that someone created a ‘Couchsurfing Corporation’, started in 2004, which caters to this crowd. It is a network of people who want to join, through a mobile app, because they are constantly traveling, to secure a ‘homestay’ anywhere around the world. A hospitality app as it were, for modern-day nomads. All these above mentioned, are the opposite of dwell, remain, stick around, stay, or abide. To dwell means, ‘to remain for a time, to live as a resident.’
There are many reasons why one would travel and become a sojourner. Some could be temporary as in a vacationer, and some could be more long term. It could be by choice as in you are in the military or a missionary as my folks were, and you are stationed here, there, and everywhere or you are in another similar vocation. It could be by choice of just not wanting to hold up at a permanent place and put down roots, and just be a couch surfer, or it could not be your choice, but because of challenging times, such as financial woes or fleeing a war-torn country, which have caused you to leave your home. Scripture instructs us to help those in need, Leviticus 25:35 admonishes, “And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.”
One example in scripture of an avid traveler is Paul. He went on four or five highly organized, extensive missionary journeys, in addition to visiting over fifty other towns and cities in his ministry which spanned over twenty-one years. He made an extraordinary impact on the then known world, in fact second only to Jesus. Traveling became second nature to him, therefore he seemed to expect others to do so also, without thought. The things that he went through on his journey’s were not for the amateur traveler and were not easy feats. In 2 Corinthians 11:26-28 Paul describes a few of his experiences, “In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watching often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.”
Another example is Jesus himself during his earthly ministry. He was born in Bethlehem, lived in Egypt, Nazareth, and Capernaum, and traveled all during his ministry to various towns and cities also of the then known world. He also had many adversities to face, but he said in Matthew 8:20 and Luke 9:58, “And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” He did stay in a permanent spot because he had the work of the ministry to fulfill. John 4:6 says, “Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.” Just as Jesus did in the flesh, so do we become weary at times on this journey called life.
Besides possibly encountering many of the mishaps that Paul and Jesus did in our examples, Abraham points out another down side to never settling down and having a dwelling place. Genesis 23:3-4 tells us, “And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke unto the sons of Heth, saying, I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” He was a stranger and had no land to even bury his loved ones, but Abraham was called of God to ‘go.’ Genesis 12:1-3 tells us, “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” As with Abraham, any modern-day minister who has received a call from the Lord will say, “Just because you have a call, does not mean the journey is going to be easy.” Abraham certainly had his many trials and tribulations along the way. Besides no where to bury their dead, being a sojourner, there was no where to leave a legacy, therefore no inheritance for the next generation. 1 Chronicles 29:15 says, “For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.” There is something comforting to be said for settling down and thereby giving your children a place to call home.
There are over ninety-eight references to the word journey alone in scripture. Some point out the pros and some the cons, as we have seen in our few examples. Jesus admonished his disciples regarding their ministry that they should not worry about all the arduous preparation, because He had already done the prep work, but faith in Him was the only thing they needed. Matthew 10:5-11 he instructs them, “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.” He told them where to go, where not to go, what to say, what to do, and when they got to their destination, stay in one place until their departure. He had done all the leg work for them. This is how children are. They do not have to make any of the decisions, reservations, or preparations for the trip, but they go and just trust that their parents have it all handled. Mark 6:8-10 another disciple gives a similar account of the same instructions, “And he commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. And he said unto them, in what place soever ye enter into a house, there abide till ye depart from that place.” You may not think you are an avid traveler, but you are a sojourner in this life and a stranger in this world if you are a Christian. We are just passing through. ‘This world is not our home, we’re just passing through,’ the old hymn rings out. We must trust that the Lord has made the path straight for us, prepared the way and made our reservations at our permanent dwelling place . All we need is faith in Him.
We can become weary just as Jesus did, but he did not give up. He knew that his journey would be over soon, and that all the hardships endured would be worth it. There is a contemporary Christian song that I have come to love, called ‘Weary Traveler’, by Jordan St. Cyr. The lyrics go like this,
“Beat down from the storms that you have weathered
Feels like this road just might go on forever
Carry on
You keep on giving
But every day this world just keeps on takin’
Your tired heart is on the edge of breaking
Carry on
Weary traveler, restless soul
You were never meant to walk this road alone
It’ll all be worth it so just hold on
Weary traveler, you won’t be weary long
And no more searching
Heaven’s healing’s gonna find where all the hurt is
When Jesus calls, we’ll lay down all our heavy burdens
Carry on
Weary traveler, restless soul
You were never meant to walk this road alone
It’ll all be worth it so just hold on
Weary traveler, you won’t be weary long
Someday soon we’re gonna make it home.”
Yes, we may feel weary, beat down and alone at times, but someday soon we are going to make it home. Where we will dwell with Him forever. Our journey will all be over. The cycle of life does not make sense unless you acknowledge that you are a sojourner in this land. Though He gives us abundant life down here, we are just passing through unto an even better place. Jesus said in John 14:1-4 & 6, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Jesus saith unto them, I am the way, the truth, and the life.” In Psalm 16:11 David puts this journey into perspective when he acknowledges that God has done all the prep work for us. “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
And in Psalm 23 David continues to show us, as if on a travel website, how God will lead us on this journey. Where we will go, what we will do, how we will conquer and what our destination is, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Someday soon, we are going to make it home.