Hidden Gems
Michigan, here we come! While I’ve driven through, I’ve never visited before. Soon, we’ll be spending a week near Traverse City, so I’m excited to see the beauty that I hear so much about. The fact that we’ve never been there is exactly why we’re going with family this summer. Whenever we travel on vacation, Alex and I have a lot of unwritten rules that would probably drive most people insane. For instance, we can’t stay in the same place twice, no matter how much we liked it. I drive to the destination, while she drives after we arrive. Sometimes, we even go out of our way to drive through towns with funny sounding names. It seems that after every trip, we wind up with another quirky rule for the next vacation. My favorite one is that we never eat at chain restaurants, which forces us to experience local favorites.
I’ve never resonated with the idea of being “busy” on vacation. We take the scenic route. We take our time. We are also complete suckers for all the tourist traps. Sometimes, I wish I could apply this vacation mentality to my life when I’m back home. As my personality dictates, I’m always on the move. I wonder if you also feel like you’re moving from one activity to another, while juggling a hundred balls in the air? It can be challenging to slow down and appreciate the details of God’s creation. The beauty around us is often easy to miss. But for some reason, I don’t miss it on vacation. Why? I think it’s because I’m intentional about slowing down. Decisions are made that I normally wouldn’t make. For example, we might pull-over and pick wildflowers, which is something that I would never do if I had somewhere else to be.
God travels with us always, but we feel God’s presence a whole lot more when we seek it. God smiles when we turn onto a road that we’ve never been down. God is with us when we try something new and go somewhere different. For me, torture looks like days that are stuck on repeat. Worship, where God promises to meet us, is most life-giving when we are expected to seek God through a variety of experiences and styles that we may never have experienced before. At Messiah, we try new things. We get excited about experiencing God in new ways. We don’t experiment with new ideas because there’s anything wrong with how things have been done before, but because the Holy Spirit thrives outside the ruts that are created by routine. Let’s pick a Sunday to Worship at the Rotary Camp, let’s grove to a Motown inspired hymn, let’s build solar panels in our black lot and provide energy for the surrounding community. It’s up to us what we do. What dictates which direction we go is our passions. I hope you’re listening for where the Holy Spirit is calling us. All I’m certain of is that we can’t play it safe. I know that doing the same thing will produce the same results.
The thing about eating at local dives, staying at different places, and visiting new towns, is that sometimes it is a major disappointment. We choose the familiar because we know what to expect. Sticking with the same-old, same-old is comfortable. However, in my experience, the hidden treasures are worth it. We’re seeking the gems, where God is easily accessible. It can be tough to find, but Christ will lead us there. God will light our path so that we never have to be afraid of the unknown and the destinations yet to be seen. Listen, listen God is calling.
Seeking God,
Pr. Lucas Mcsurley
Photo by Marek Rucinski