Life on the Road: Halfway

Today marks the middle day of the middle week of our around-the-country adventure!  We're halfway home!

While we're here in St. Louis, once these classes are done, we will be taking a little time to reorganize things in the van.  As class supplies have been used up along the way, it's time to rearrange a bit.  And, frankly, all this in and out, loading and unloading, also means we need to tidy up a bit!

Meanwhile, at this midpoint, I'm doing a little reminiscing.  Thinking about favorites.  And remembering the not-so-much, as well.

This Courtyard where we are now staying will go down as one of the favorites for sure.  If you're ever in this area, I highly recommend the Courtyard-St. Louis Earth City.  Very friendly and helpful staff, and the hotel has been renovated and updated.  Of course, that update did include these ridiculous round chairs.  Even so, it gets high marks.

I've mentioned some favorite foods before.  The favorite foods list now includes two meals from Kansas City.  The barbecue at Jack Stack was outstanding!  Beyond that, Al and I both agree that our meal at Garozzo's, a small Italian restaurant in the middle of a neighborhood, was one of the best meals we have eaten on this trip.  If you ever go there, eat the chicken spedini.  And have a cannoli for dessert!

But back to the tidying up and reorganizing.  That happens from time to time, whether you're on the road or not.  We all have closets and drawers and garages that get a bit cluttered up.  Right now, my clutter is confined to suitcases and a very large van.  But clutter there is.  And it must dealt with.

Even more important, the clutter in our hearts and minds needs to be dealt with.  We are bombarded on a daily basis with more information than we know what to do with.  Not only the information, but our emotions and reactions to all that information, along with the general stress that is life in the 21st century, leads to cluttered up hearts and minds.

The clutter in the closet, or in the van, or in the luggage, won't go away without deliberate effort.  The clutter in our hearts and minds can only be dealt with through deliberate, conscious effort as well.

The way to deal with our cluttered up hearts and minds is to be still.  To cease striving.
To set aside all the "stuff" of life and listen carefully for that still, small voice.

"Cease striving and know that I am God."  (Psalm 46:10 NASB)

Cease striving.  Be still.  Listen to what God is saying to you.  Then act on what He says.  Get rid of the clutter.

"Put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth."  (Colossians 3:8 NASB)

Whatever emotions or information or habits cluttering your heart and mind, whatever emotion or information or habit in your life that is not God-honoring, needs to go.  It needs to be put aside.

It needs to be replaced.

"As those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other.....and beyond all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity."  (Colossians 3:12-14 NASB)

I need to do some cleaning and reorganizing in my luggage, and in the van.  It seems a good time to do some cleaning and reorganizing in my heart and mind as well.

How about you?