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I Went I Took and I Learned
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I Went, I Took, and I Learned
Matt 11:28-30
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. NIV
The 2007 journey of Pocket Full of Quarters finally ended late Saturday night as a tired Belle and I pulled into the driveway of our own personal Oasis. About 2 blocks from our home, Belle realized where we were and began circling in her seat. Shetland Sheep Dogs love to turn in circles. I’m always afraid she is going to fall off the seat and sometimes she does. This time, her nose left a wet mark on the window with every circle.
“We’re home, Belle,” I said excitedly. “We’re home. We’re home, we’re home, we’re home. We’re going to see Daddy.”
Belle began barking excitedly as I repeatedly chanted the words, “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy.”
As we pulled into the driveway, a bright welcome home sign greeted us from the garage. The bright moon and stars lit up the dessert and the long arms of the cactus seemed to come alive. Bob came out the front door and if Belle could have jumped through glass, she would have. I opened Halleluiah’s door and Belle bounded over to Bob. I stepped out and breathed in the clean crisp cool air. My mountain loomed behind my home, seeming to offer a covering of protection. I whispered a prayer of thanksgiving to live in such a beautiful place.
“Hi Belle,” Bob said as he scratched her head and gave her a hug. “Hiiiii. Can I go give Mommy a hug now?” (see pictures in the Photo Gallery: Arizona – Phoenix – Home At Last 07)
Not wanting to give up attention, Belle tried to get between us as Bob and I embraced. When we went inside, there was another Welcome Home banner taped across the dining room. Belle ignored it and ran directly to her basket of toys. I didn’t ignore it and hugged Bob again. Belle went to barking and dropped a stuffed animal at Bob’s feet. Laughing, Bob bent to pick it up and threw it across the room. Belle happily yipped as she chased after the toy. I hugged Bob a third time.
I was indeed weary and heavily burdened by all the gear weighing Halleluiah down. Knowing I was tired, Bob said, “Tell me what you need for tonight and tomorrow morning for church. I’ll get that and you can take your time unpacking the rest next week.”
Resting is never easy because a loud voice in my head shouts, “No rest until the work is done.” The problem with that voice is that the work never ends and we must stop and rest. Even though my instincts screamed “Unpack Now,” my weary body quietly begged Listen to Bob. I decided to listen to the quiet still voice and to rest. I collapsed on the couch and let Bob get the essentials for the night and morning.
As with every other trip, this trip had a unique spiritual theme and focal scripture. If you have read previous chapters, you know the theme for this year was Come, Take, and Learn. The focal scripture was Matthew 11:28-30. As I traveled, the stories, challenges, and adventures did indeed revolve around those three words.
I Went
God called me to the 2007 journey and I went. It was an honor to spend 3 months on the road following the call of God. While I was thrilled to be home again, I wouldn’t have missed the journey for the world. At every turn, God whispered the words come. I did my best to follow. Sometimes the word come led to amusement parks or mountain tops and other times it led to repair shops or broken hearted people. Even though I wasn’t always convinced, responding to the word come was always ultimately rewarding.
I Took
Taking the yoke of Jesus was indeed daunting at times. I confess to a moment of doubt the night I was standing in the rain locked out of Halleluiah. When I accepted the yoke with a good attitude, God revealed the purpose and that experience became a memory that reaffirms my faith every time I revisit it. As I traveled, I tried to encourage Christians to seek the will of God and to obey but in order to that, I had to do it myself. I got up every morning, asked for knowledge of God’s will for me, and did my best to carry it out. God always revealed what to do and many days, I actually did it. When I refused the yoke, the nagging sick feeling in my stomach stole my rest. When I truly took the yoke of God, I was astounded by the power of that yoke to lead me to true rest. .
I Learned
I learned so much this summer. I’ve been in love with Jesus since I was a little girl and yet He continues to teach me something new every day. This summer, I learned the power of yokefellows and how necessary they are to fulfill our calls from God. I learned that I didn’t have to do everything myself and that if I ever wanted to rest, I would have to accept help. I learned to laugh during difficult situations instead of afterward. I learned by watching the yokefellows that traveled with me how hard this particular call is and that I need to allow God to give me rest. I learned that no matter how hard a yoke seems, if it comes from God, it is always easy and it’s burden light.
Thank you for coming on this journey with me. I plan to take some time to rest. I hope you found rest for your souls by gaining the willingness to take the yoke God is requiring. I’ve tried to be honest about my experiences on this journey and hope you learned from my lessons, adventures, and the mistakes. If God calls me to the road again, maybe we’ll meet and even become yokefellows. Who knows, you may even find me resting beside a beach.
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