We went on a multi-state road trip with our young kids.
If you don’t have young kids or haven’t been on a long road trip, you might not understand all the turmoil that first sentence holds. 16 hours. 2 days. 4 states. Twice. With 3 stops in between. With a 5 and a 2 year old. Are we crazy? Maybe. No, definitely we are. But we like it that way.
My grandmother is 98 years old. Living at home with her daughter, loving and living like a rock star. I wanted to see her before it was too late. But how? The only way that seemed to make any amount of sense was a road trip. We headed out as soon as school was over for the semester.
We made it through. Really well, actually! I credit the bags of snacks and toys that they could open every hour and tablets loaded with their favorite shows. Can someone surprise me with that for the next trip!? What also helped was our attitude of enjoying each other despite disappointments, which had become my motto for the trip, and I got it from a children’s book!
We enjoyed time with my brother and his family. Lots of smiles and giggles, despite a busted lip for J from running and slipping. Thankfully, toddler mouth injuries heal quickly!
More travel.
We enjoyed time with my cousin, my other brother and his friend, and my childhood friend. To hug my friends after so much time apart meant the world to me. I will never let them go.
More travel.
Then we finally made it to see that 98 and a half-year-old lover of chocolate milkshakes and teriyaki chicken-on-a-stick who was around before driver's licenses, penicillin, and sliced bread!
We had a good time with my parents, and my cousin and her kids. On one part of our trip my husband, kids, and I spent time with just my aunt and grandmother. As my kids poked their shy heads out from the kitchen into the living room, my aunt called out, “Whatchu doin?” in a playful way. The sweet little heads immediately poked back into the kitchen then poked out again to see what would happen next. The game continued the rest of our time together. Continuous calls of “Whatchu doin’” were met with heads poking out and giggles. Loads of giggles! My kids started saying, “Whatchu doin’” to each other. Over and over again...
The fun game and catchphrase took on a deeper meaning as I thought about it more on the seemingly endless drive home. “Whatchu doin’” became, “What are you doing with your life?” in my head. It made me ponder if I am stepping up, stepping into the purpose God has for me.
For me, the answer depends on the day. Am I remembering who God made me to be and where my identity rests? Am I prayerfully asking what He wants me to do each day and following through? Am I focusing on the stressful tick-tock of the clock or His kingdom and its residents?
How can I teach my kids to always be on the lookout for what God has planned for them to do next? At their young age, I can focus on what they see me doing.
As I imagine God saying, “Whatchu doin’?” to me and my kids, I can imagine us saying, “Lovin’ You and Yours!” Maybe that’s all God wants. Maybe it doesn’t matter what we do, but how we do it. With love.
Lord, help me love You with all of who I am in whatever I do! May I dive deeper into becoming who You made me to be! Help me see and treat others as You see and treat them!
May I continually seek Your answer to the question, “Whatchu doin’?” and bring my kids along with me for the ride.
Amen.