The Journey Continues: Success or Failure by Heidi Jakoby

Jesus is heading to Jerusalem and is finishing his mission. Where are you on your mission? Where are you on your journey? (Luke 13:31-35) Yesterday the Canadian Joannie Rochette competed in the Women’s figure Skating Olympic competition just two days after her mother unexpectedly passed away. What an unbelievable performance she had. She skated well and with great emotion. At the end of her short program I could feel her grief and the grief of her father, all the way into my living room. She has been on this journey to the Olympics for a long time and she did not expect to be competing without her mother watching. How do you cope when your journey takes a turn you do not expect?

Goals, missions, expectations, plans what are yours? What are the ones you hold for others? How do you know what direction to go in? In some ways Jesus was lucky. He clearly knew what he needed to do and how he needed to spend the next three days. It seems like Jesus did not have any regrets. How do you determine what you are supposed to do next? As I have listened to many of the athletes competing in the Olympics I have heard stories of their passion and singular focus to be the best in their sport. I cannot image having such a clear and singular goal. Throughout life I have had short term goals, of graduating High School, graduating college, getting married etc. Looking back these goals seemed easy to achieve. More recently, it has been difficult for me to identify how I am “supposed” to spend my time. How do you discern how to spend your time?

So many of the medals have come down to fractions of a second, have you noticed how humble many athletes have been, even when they have not won. I noticed that many of those who felt they did their best were o.k. with whatever the outcome was. How does it make you feel to do your best and still fail? Have you ever had a time in your life when you knew you were doing what you were suppose to do and it did not work out how you expected? What was that situation? Did you learn anything from that journey? Take a few moments to read this description of  Joannie Rochette and her family's story.

What do you think of Joannie’s story?

During this 40 day journey of Lent, one of the biggest questions I ask myself is what do I believe? Check out Fantasia’s song “I Believe” what is it saying to you? What does this have to do with your journey? (lyrics,  video)

I can see it in the stars across the sky/Dreamt a hundred thousand dreams before now I finally realize/You see I’ve waited all my life for this moment to arrive/ And finally I believe

When you look out in the distance /you see it never was that far, oh no/ Heaven knows your existence/ And wants you to be everything you are

These are the two versus that really speak to me. We all have many dreams how do we know which to pursue? Is it enough to believe that dreams can happen? How do you live your daily life in order to be faithful to your journey and to your dreams?

As always I have more questions than answers. Jesus was journeying closer to Jerusalem and closer to facing Herod. He knew Herod was not the true King so he did not fear him but Jesus knew there was a number of things he had to get done and he continued to do what he had to do each day, despite what anyone else was trying to do to him, in order to fulfill his mission.

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