God Doesn't Care

I'll preface this post by saying that this doesn't have anything to do with travel...on the surface.

However, long-term travel (I'll define it as longer than a long vacation) gives one time and perspective to ponder many things. It allows an honest peek into your soul. If you allow it.

From what I've surveyed, travel often separates people from God as they uncover other beliefs that suit them better. For other people, it brings them closer to God and allows a deeper seeking into His will for their life.

This post started as a Facebook response to an article that a friend linked. It turned into a blog post on a travel blog site. Go figure.

This is an excellent article. I'm reminded of a conversation with a pastor friend about prayer.

My theological and philosophical question: why pray?

This question was centered around God's will.

If God's will is to be done, does our prayer actually have any effect on the outcome?

I'm not looking for answers here, I'm asking rhetorically. It's a great question to ask, ponder, and sift through scripture combing for answers and examples.

I believe God cares about every, single detail. However, the way that we typically pray is a wish list of things or outcomes, etc. We cannot begin to comprehend His ways, so we fail miserably in how we communicate with Him. I fail daily. Hourly. By the minute. In other words, I'm a grace hoarder.

We don't typically pray for His will because it scares the ever-loving, crap out of us. I know it does me. And I know at times when we've prayed for His will, storms ravaged through our lives. Horrible to go through, but huge blessings on the other side.

We would not have it any other way; after the fact.

We'd rather it any other way during the storm. I also know that when we've created our own paths, the path and outcome have both been miserable.

So God allows us, through prayer, to be a part of His will. It's a gift. Not our will, not our wishes, not our petty desires. His will. I think this article speaks to that.

And it's timely for us. For me. We're on this journey and we don't know why. It's more than just...woo-hoo...we're traveling the world. There's a purpose.

There's a reason that we were re-located to Nashville to be in a job that I was miserable in from day 1. There's a reason that one of my best friends offered me a way to make money on my own. There's a reason that I was able to make and save enough money for travel.

There's a reason that I'm sitting in front of one of the most beautiful beaches in the world...and my heart is not fulfilled.

My heart is stirred. It's jumbled with 1000 thoughts per minute.

I suppose my question should be this: Am I seeking my will or His?