Journey with Jesus
Journey is one of my favorite words. I use it all the time with clients, with friends, with my kids, and with myself. It’s one of those words that I cling to; that helps remind me of the truth: Progress, not perfection.
Every one loves a good journey story. Since God breathed life into Adam’s lungs, humans have been telling stories. Stories of where we have been, where we are going, what we learned, how we have been defeated, what we have succeeded in, and how we have grown. A good journey story includes all of these things.
Reflecting on this year, 2019 has been a year of taking a journey with Jesus in a deeper way. Jesus has invited me to join Him in the plans and purposes He has for my life. For much of my life, I have lived according to MY plans and purposes, MY dreams and goals, and doing things in Jesus’ name for the sake of ME-nistry rather than ministry to others. I’ve had moments of turning my focus to Jesus and seeking His desires, but in a moment of raw transparency, I still make this journey I am on all about me. Yet, even though I can be so selfish and self-centered, Jesus accepts me right where I am and loves me too much to allow me stay this way.
To make progress on this journey with Jesus, I have to accept His invitation and submit to His leading. Sometimes I know exactly where we are going. Sometimes, I have no idea where the destination is. In this moment, it’s the latter for me. Recently, when the plans I made for my life did not work out and a figurative door was slammed shut, Jesus whispered to my soul, “The promised land is in front of you, not behind you. Move forward.” I wanted to go back to something I knew how to do, because it was easy and comfortable. But at this leg of my journey with Jesus, it’s not about being easy and comfortable. It’s about pushing the comfort zones and trusting Him to do the things that seem impossible in my mind. Which can be absolutely terrifying.
But it is in the stretching that I grow. In this place of pushing comfort zones and trusting Jesus, I have learned I have hope, or expectancy. I can expect that He is with me on this journey, He won’t fail me, He won’t leave me nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:6). That has been true for the people whose stories I’ve read in the Bible, for people I know personally, and in my own life. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8) so I can expect that He will do what He says He will because that’s what He has always done.
This year more so than others, I have learned that journeying with Jesus allows me to experience freedom in a whole new way because ultimately, I am not responsible for the results. I am responsible to be obedient to Jesus; but the end result is His responsibility if He is the One leading. That gives me the blessing of truly enjoying the journey. I love taking road trips, but I can tend to look at everything as I drive, which isn’t the safest driving technique. But when my husband drives, I have the opportunity to enjoy every thing I see and experience. I have to get into the car to experience it; but the end result of our destination is not my responsibility.
Not only do I have freedom when journeying with Jesus, but I am able to find my eternal significance: the very reason I was created. Knowing my purpose gives me drive, passion, and a reason to get up each morning with excitement. This keeps me moving forward when things get difficult, overwhelming, scary, or mundane.
It is in the journey with Jesus that I have come to truly trust His perfect timing. If the figurative door I mentioned earlier hadn’t slammed shut, I would not be making an investment of time, talent, and treasure into the purposes God has told me He has for me. I would have just done what I have always done, and experienced what I have always experienced. Even in the small steps I’ve taken towards obedience in these things, I can see God’s finger prints all over it: relationships, opportunities, wisdom gleaned from others, support, encouragement, and provision that I was not expecting. It is a humbling experience to realize that journeying with Jesus provides freedom, eternal significance, that He knows what He is doing and has the exact, perfect timeline for these things.
Journeying with Jesus this year has allowed me to stretch in a deeper and profound way. Experiencing an intimacy with Jesus has led to a truly abundant life. It is a life overflowing with gratitude, acceptance, hope, humility, joy, purpose, freedom, trust, faith, and peace.
I’m still being stretched and growing because this life is a journey. It’s about the reality of grace in that Jesus does not expect perfection, but progress. Am I moving forward, or am I trying to go back to what is easy and comfortable? Is my journey story one that changes me, or will I continue to do what I’ve always done? As we head quickly into a new year and a new decade, I am thankful that by Jesus’ grace, I’ve made some movement forward in 2019, and I am excited for where He will lead me in 2020. How about you?
Points to Ponder:
1. Have you experienced living a season of ME-nistry rather than ministry?
2. Reflecting on 2019, what has your journey story looked like?
a. Where have you been?
b. Where are you going?
c. What have you learned?
d. How have you we been defeated?
e. What have you succeeded in?
f. How have you grown?
Megan Sinisi absolutely adores a good cup of coffee, chocolate, and sitting with people to share life stories. She is a native to Las Vegas, born and raised, and has four beautiful children with her handsome husband, Vincenzo. She is a counselor, specializing in the field of addictions, with multiple certifications, both in Nevada and nationally. She directed Nevada’s largest treatment court and has been building her private practice since 2014, acquiring contracts with the City of Las Vegas, City of Henderson, Clark County Special Defender’s Office, and Zappos.com. It is because of her own journey of healing and through her career that she has learned the wounds we have can begin to be healed as we share our stories. She considers it an honor when someone shares their story with her, and hopes that as she shares her stories of victory and healing that others can be inspired, encouraged, and challenged. Megan has a love and fervor for writing and is walking in faith that God is calling her to use that passion and gift for His glory. She is someone who is known for her honesty and transparency that brings light to difficult situations and feelings, and offers hope and encouragement for the journey of life. It is her hope that by sharing her journey, it encourages, challenges, inspires, comforts, and most importantly, shines the light of Jesus and the reality of His love, grace, and mercy. You can find more from Megan at www.meganjsinisi.com And @meganjsinisi on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.