The Tree of Omission

Have you ever been at the end of a long journey only to find out that there was more? Maybe you quit a job and then were told they needed you for a couple extra weeks. Or maybe you were volunteering for something but it was never quite over.

This happened to me when I was completing my MA in Marriage & Family Counselling. I had completed all of the courses and finished all of my final interview and assignments. All I needed were counselling hours for my practicum and I would be done. I submitted my hours and let them know I would have them done by the end of the summer, but alas, that was not good enough. Because I had missed a deadline that I was unaware of by 2 weeks, I had to wait a full year before I could graduate. 

The same thing happened in my BA in Religious Education. I have a volunteer credit I had to earn so I spent an entire summer volunteering at my church to get in the hours I needed, but when I returned to school, I was told it wasn't good enough because apparently I needed approval first and then I could do the hours. I had to find an in-depth opportunity during my last year of school to make up the hours, even though they would have approved it if I filled out the paperwork beforehand. 

I feel like this is the feeling Brock and Brianna have in this chapter. Everything is coming to a close and the one they look up to says, "first we have a journey." WHAT?! They just went through a journey! And now they have another one? 

But that's how it is sometime in our walk with God, isn't it? We think, "we're doing great! I've got this! God and I are tight!" but then something happens and we go, "Oh, I guess this is just another step along the journey" and sometimes we groan inwardly. That's okay! Journeys can be long or short, easy or difficult, lonely or companionable, but every journey has a purpose. The crazy thing is, that purpose may not be about you. It might be about who you're journeying with, or who witnesses your journey, or who you can talk to about it later. Life isn't about you, it's about God, and you have the privilege to choose to walk with him on the journey if you want. 

So don't give up! Just take it one step at a time, and every now and again you might get a shortcut.