Ready to Travel

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Do you enjoy road trips? Tim and I do, especially if we have been stationed in one place for a long time.

Our time in Tennessee, though extended longer than planned, was great for Tim to have the opportunity to preach and teach on a weekly basis for half a year. This time was a treasured gift from the Lord. It was a time of getting to know the church family there better and form special friendships.

Now we are on the road again, heading west. But before each travel day, there are some things that need to be done in preparation for the day.

What do you do to prepare for a trip? Plan the route and possible expenses and pack what is needed for the trip: clothes, food, maps. Electronics… Well, we also plan our route and expenses, especially fuel. As for packing, there is no need, unless you count packing “up” our home on wheels. People have asked, don’t you just get in and drive away? It’s not that simple. There are things that are necessary to do both inside the RV and outside it before we can consider even moving the RV. Thus, Tim is responsible for the outside preparations and I am responsible for the indoor ones.

So, what are they? You ask. Tim makes sure the awnings and solar panels are down and latched to the sides of the RV. If we are hooked up to water, sewer, and electricity, he unhooks us and puts the hoses away. He checks all the outside doors and makes sure they are closed and locked so they hopefully don’t open on the trip. Once in a while they still do. He also is in charge of the bikes, putting them in the car then hooks up the car to the RV and makes sure it is tow ready. This included checking the lights that they are working once the car is hooked up to the RV. All these things take time.

Meanwhile I am preparing things inside for the trip. I make sure all the dishes are washed and put away. The printer and microwave need to be fastened in so they don’t slide off the counter, especially on rough rides. Our home is older so we have fixed axles instead of independent suspension like you would have on your car. So, we feel all the lumps and bumps on the road. Sometimes it can be very bumpy. Our computers are stored away and the chairs are fastened to the desk to prevent them from roaming around on the road. They do tend to do that, especially since they have wheels. I check the vents and closed them, and make sure all doors are open or closed and secure. Usually Tim will check our fiddleleaf plan to make sure it is secure and I will put our other plant in the kitchen sink.

We have knickknacks to liven up our home and other objects that are in use or used often. These objects we no longer have to put away each time we are on the road. There are wonderful tools available to keep our objects in place: magnets, sticky tack, alien tape, and rubber mats. The magnets are great for our soap and lotion bottles both in the kitchen and bathroom. They work for other items as well, especially our salt and pepper shaker holder we keep on top of the microwave. Sticky tack is for those knickknacks we want to be able to move easily if need be. Alien Tape really comes in handy for those things we want permanently someplace, yet can still be removed without problems if necessary. The rubber mats are for larger items or items used all the time. Thus, even on the worst of roads, we don’t have to worry about those things left out.

Preparation is important. If we did not prepare our RV before setting out, we could cause many problems which could prove very costly. The same in life. The lack of preparation could be costly, even deadly. The Bible tells us we need to be prepared. Proverbs 28:19 says, “He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!” We work for the food on our table and the chances to go on trips. Well, we work for now and also for the future, isn’t that correct? When we are prepared, we are also able to help others in need.

But there’s more. 1 Peter 5:8 warns us, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” We need to be prepared and on our guard against Satan and his tactics for he is out to destroy us. No exaggeration there, for he hates all believers! That is why Peter goes on to say in verse 9, “Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” Expect temptations and suffering to come and you can better be prepared to face it.

1 Peter 3:15 tells us something else we need to be prepared to do. “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” Especially now, when there is so much hopelessness in the world, we need to be a beacon of hope to a lost world. We need to stand out so people will see a difference in us. Sometimes sharing our faith can be costly, but what is that in light of eternity.

Then most importantly, we need to be prepared for the coming of the Lord, for He is coming again. 1 Thessalonians 5:2 says He will come “like a thief in the night.” Matthew 24:42-44 exhorts, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Are you prepared for the coming of the Lord? Do you know Him personally, as Lord and Savior? If not, you are unprepared for what is coming. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” You need to believe in Jesus, the Son of God, who took the punishment you deserved for your sin by placing your complete trust in Him alone.

Are you ready to travel?

Blessings, Mari