drive time.

i was driving yesterday during my now-weekly 240 mile journey between "home" and "WV" and realized how much i'll miss my time in the car.

kind of weird for me to be admitting that i'll miss living so far away from my husband (which please don't misunderstand me, i won't). weird for me to want to sit on my ever-growing rump 8 hours each weekend. and weird for me to have grown the desire to rebreathe the same air for 480 minutes four times each month.

but my drive time has grown to be a time of solitude. a time to listen to the Lord speak, to listen to podcasts, and to communicate with friends & family i otherwise would not make as much time for. and perhaps more importantly, my drive time has become a weekly journey of faith. i catch up on sermons, NPR, and oodles of podcasts. i listen to new music. and i create new conversations--depending on my cell phone battery.

as i pull out of our driveway in NC, i'm always tempted. tempted to turn around and give this up. tempted to choose the easy road in our lives right now and avoid the trials, temptations, and frustrations that come with living apart from a loved one. tempted to skew the loving words jon has spoken, tempted to let my frustations and anticipations build to the breaking point. and more times than i'd like to count, i've been tempted to believe that this wasn't God's plan afterall.

but every time. EVERY TIME, i arrive at my destination 4 hours later with a calm heart. one that has been personally touched by God's hand; one that has been reassurred that this is the road we are traveling right now...and that soon enough, there will be an exit.