I-95

Interstate 95 is, for our family, more than a main corridor for the eastern sea board!

(For those unfamiliar with this highway, it runs the length of the east from FL to NY and beyond.)

During our years as evangelists, I-95 was the starting point for most of our journeys. It has also served for decades as a ribbon connecting family living in FL to family living in NC. Mom and Dad Hawley live just off the first exit there in the great metropolis of Dunn.

And who knew that we would also need this thoroughfare for connecting us to the Schreck family in Poughkeepsie, NY?!

Now, life moves on and soon another part of our family will live two hours east of I-95 in Manteo, NC. (That would be the Smith family, of course.)

So it was that this morning I texted two of my precious daughters. One on I-95 headed south and the other on I-95 headed north.

(Meagan and Nathan - traveling back from Manteo. Joy, John and Spencer - journeying toward Poughkeepsie. After they stop to see Grandma and Grandpa Hawley, of course! Smile.)

I texted Joy around 6:00 AM to see if they had made it safely to Dunn. (Overnight road trips seem to work better with children.) They were all getting ready for a much needed nap. We talked briefly about how odd it was that she and Meagan were both traveling the same road in opposite directions.

"What happened to the days when we told our three little blonds, 'Time to go, girls. Hop in the truck!' and we all hit the road together?" I asked.

"We've all grown up, Mom. I miss those days. Fun Times!" she texted back.

"Truth is, these are fun times too, Sweetie. Just different."

Yesterday while Joy tried to do laundry and pack, I did the babysitting. What a delightful trade-off! She had use of both hands and I got to snuggle! Win/Win.

I did the walk-and-jiggle; utilizing my nana-roll, of course. Smile. And finally young Mr. Schreck dozed off allowing me several delicious moments to study his features and ponder.

He is almost a miniature version of his handsome dad, John. But every so often I catch a glimpse of my own little Joy in his face. And in that moment, I'm twenty-five years old again; filled with wonder at new life!

I've known women who ache for a return to those days. Women who frequently and loudly lament - oh, how I wish I could go back to when they were just babies.

But many years ago, the Lord helped me to understand the importance of living in the moment - contentedly!

We can waste valuable time longing for yesterday and fearing tomorrow! (Wow, that's pretty good. Think I'll write that in the back of my Bible. Smile.)

Contentment serves like I-95. It connects us to the joy of yesterday while helping us journey on to the fulfillment of tomorrow. The critical point? We must choose to travel.

God promises to order our footsteps not our sitting down. Smile.

All those trips up and down I-95 and we had no idea that two of the young men we prayed for were essentially connected to us already.

Hmmmm. God never wastes anything, does He?!

Whether your travels today are literal or emotional, may they be abundantly blessed with contentment!



P.S. I have a HUGE list of things that to accomplish today. But my wonderful husband volunteered to take a chunk of those so I could blog. Thanks for the support, Sweetheart!