Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic dream. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows we drink in the passing scenes of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls..
But upmost in our minds is the
final destination. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we
get there our dreams will come true, and the pieces of our lives will fit
together like a jigsaw puzzle..
"When we reach the station,
that will be it!" we cry..
"When I'm 18!"
"When I buy a new 450SL Mercedes-Benz!"
"When I put the last kid through
college!"
"When l have paid off the mortgage!"
"When I reach the age of retirement,
I shall live happily ever after!"
Sooner or later we must realize
there is no station, no one place to arrive
at once and for all........The
true joy of life is the trip.......The station is only a dream.......It
constantly outdistances us.... "Relish the moment" is a good
motto, especially when coupled
with Psalm 118:24 "This is the day which
the Lord hath made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it."
It isn't the burdens of today
that drive man mad.
It is the regrets over yesterday
and the fear of tomorrow.
Regret and fear are twin
thieves who rob us of today......
So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles.
Instead, climb more mountains,
eat more ice cream,
go barefoot more often,
swim more rivers,
watch more sunsets,
laugh more, cry less.
Life must be lived as we go along.
The station will come soon enough.........................