[00:14.89]Tucked away in our subconsciousness is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent.
[00:23.34]We are traveling by train. Out the windows, we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways,
[00:31.08]of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant,
[00:40.07]of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys,
[00:45.74]of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.
[00:52.14]But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull into the station.
[01:00.80]Bands will be playing and flags waving.
[01:04.11]Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives
[01:09.66]will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles,
[01:16.00]damning the minutes for loitering - waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.
[01:23.49]“When we reach the station, that will be it!” we cry.
[01:27.16]“When I’m 18.” “When I buy a new 450SL Mercedes Benz!” “When I put the last kid through college.”
[01:35.88]“When I have paid off the mortgage!” “When I get a promotion.”
[01:40.73]“When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after!”
[01:46.06]Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all.
[01:53.46]The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.
[02:02.54]“Relish the moment” is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24:
[02:09.62]“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
[02:15.55]It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow.
[02:24.12]Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.
[02:29.07]So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Intead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream,
[02:37.31]go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less.
[02:46.09]Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.
