It was the last week of summer vacation and I just couldn’t stand it. Come on, son, let’s take one last road trip. With barely any notice, we two sojourners packed our bags, gave goodbye kisses and hugs, and hit the road with little to no plans except to see old friends before school started.
We stopped along the way and picked up two invaluable road trip books I would highly recommend to any parent: Barron’s Learn French the Fast and Fun Way with audio CD and William Shakespeare’s Star Wars by Ian Doescher. We parlez-voused through the Land of the Delta Blues and when we tired of that, anon, we found verily a hilarious read we could both enjoy aloud, a new hope of bringing freedom to the galaxy, oh so far, far away.
As we pulled into what was once a familiar place to me, it was my goal to show my son Elijah some favorite places we once shared during his toddler years. We found our way back to spots like the little glass house in the library where I often read childhood stories to him, ate ice cream cones at the Baskin-Robbins near our old home, and finally took the drive to the neighborhood church so I could show him around.
We parked in our usual spot and walked to the door. I felt a strong jolt when I pulled the door open, then jerked even harder the second time. Nothing. The doors might as well have had chains, as I realized the place was not only older than I remembered, but locked away from the public. The door had one simple and direct message: NO WEAPONS ALLOWED. We realized the property had been sold when I read the new name on the marquee.
Later, we finally met up with friends. Like old friends do, we hugged and picked up the conversation right where it left off years ago. We also ran into the man that sold us our long-time pet who in my writings has historically been identified as Champion Labrador Stitch the 17th (May God rest his sweet pet soul).
When we said our goodbyes, of course, I cried all the way home like we girls tend to do when putting miles between our loved ones and a life some place in the here and now. I kept being prompted to remember the ancient words written to the Hebrews that reminded followers of The Way that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Even though everything else may change or fall away, He says in his Word that He never will.
Though we didn’t go too far on our last road trip of summer, it was undoubtedly the deepest journey into discussions held long into the night, including everything from the long-term rewards of investing money while young to a discussion of my son’s namesake, the Old Testament prophet Elijah, and why I think this world needs more men and women who will stand for truth with a spirit of gentleness, even when no one else will.
I suppose you could say this particular road trip paid more dividends than usual, with regard to producing engaging subjects capable of spurring word exchanges with people in puberty. It has led, still, to a study of why wise men are calling 2015 The Year of Jubilee, a year of great historical significance for the entire world landscape, the likes of which has not been witnessed since Israel reclaimed Jerusalem for the first time in 2,000 years (1966, last Year of Jubilee).
We are not foolish enough to believe that any man truly knows the day nor the hour of the second coming of Christ, but how interesting it is to discover the prophecies of Daniel when he names the year and the season he identifies as the “seventy ‘sevens’” in his famous prayer of chapter 9 in the Bible.
The continued discussion of signs and wonders in the sky has been better than any Star Wars episode as we noted not one, but four, rare lunar eclipses of the last year known as blood moons, the last of the four to come on September 28, 2015 – the type of signs that have always been an indicator of a significant act to follow.
In Mama’s finite knowledge, we always leave the discussion at this bottom line:
We are in perilous, changing days with an unchanging God who is calling the nations to repentance. The signs tell us that time is running out quickly. How will you be ready in these final days? There are only two choices with eternal stakes much higher than Lucas’ fictional Rebels and Imperials. Which side will you choose?
Then we say our goodnight and pray may the Lord be with you until tomorrow’s discussion or something truly magnificent happens.
Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place. —The Old Testament Prophet Daniel (9:24)
Read Brandi’s column each month in The Cross Timbers Gazette newspaper.
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