June 23, 2021 We drove an hour for ice cream. Like nearly everyone else, the Fargo family didn’t get a lot of opportunities to run the roads and travel for over a year. Now that life is starting to show some signs of normalcy again, we’re eager to get out of the house and into the world. So, with not much to do last weekend, and while my husband was occupied, Jake and I decided to make the hour-long trek to the Saranac Lake area for no other reason than to get ice cream at Donnelly’s. For those who don’t know, Donnelly’s is a locally owned ice cream stand that offers one flavor per day of homemade soft-serve ice cream. Donnelly’s ice cream is delicious! We figured it was worth the drive. On the hour-long drive through the Adirondack Park, Jake and I marveled at the beauty of the mountains, lakes and trees. We chatted about school, work, football, music, a planned vacation… We just chatted. We sang obnoxiously with the radio (Ok, that was me; Jake mostly laughed at me). We arrived at our destination, waited in line and ordered our cones. The flavor of the day was chocolate/vanilla twist. The ice cream was good! In fact, I’d say the ice cream was excellent! But the ice cream wasn’t the best part of the experience. The journey – the time with Jake – was the best part. It’s even true in my spiritual life. When God shows me areas of my life I need to change, I want the change to be instant. I want to get where I’m supposed to be. Time and time again, though, God reminds me that change happens on his timeline, and it’s usually a gradual process that requires a healthy dose of both God’s help and hard work. While I’d still rather the changes be instant, I’ve found great joy in the journey. While there are struggles, there’s also great rejoicing with each success. I need to be willing to cooperate with God’s grace and enjoy the journeys, and I need to be willing to drive for those changes like I’m willing to drive for ice cream. |
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