I was blessed, or cursed, by what I’ll call a “Wes-ism.” It goes like this: “If you wait till the last minute, it will certainly only take a minute,” in reference to leaving the packing till the end. So while I was rushed to get everything put in its final bag, all of which was light and mostly newly purchased, I want to say without reservation that “last minute” doesn’t quite fit today’s final push out the door. Let me explain. First of all, this trip is unlike any other I’ve ever taken, at least accompanied by a family. To leave one’s house for 3 full months is no easy matter. Second, the length of trip warranted early preparations out of necessity. Third, no matter how prepared I might have been, there were agendas circling around my head like sugar plums for days. At church, there were final expense reports & other clerical details needing attention. There was a final cleanup of the office, as well as a brief mtg with staff – whereupon I heard for the first time that an office worker announced that he’d be leaving town before I’d return. Lastly, this was no simple or short trip away from home for my family and I would be traveling to four European countries over a period of 2 1/2 – 3 months. Ergo the title: –A TRIP OF A LIFETIME.

REFLECTION: What would a trip of a lifetime look like for you & your family? Where would you go? What would it cost? What would it take to make it a reality?