Is it the destination or the Journey?

I have to admit that as I watched the Anaheim Ducks win the Stanley Cup last night I realized that they were the better team. Having watched the last few games of the Semi-Finals and the last two games of the Stanley Cup Finals, they just seemed better prepared and stronger. So I (reluctantly) tip my hat to the Ducks. I would have liked to see the Senators win, but alas it is best that the better team win, after all that is the point of such a championship battle.

As I pondered this Stanley Cup experience I got to thinking about the accomplishments that we attain in life, for example my recent vacation, and began to wonder if the goal is to be able to say "I've done it" or is the goal to love the journey along the way?

I think about my having traveled to a lot of different places and yes, it is fun to tell people some of the places I've been. But my purpose in travel has never been so that I can come home and add to my list, the purpose has been to experience those places.

I think this is the problem that we face when we are too busy trying to keep up with the Joneses. Too often we want more things, nicer things, newer things simply so that when we add up the score we can add our tally marks and end up with the biggest total in the end.

Well, this is exactly what Jesus was teaching against in his ministry. In Matthew 19:16-26, Jesus is approached by a rich young man and is questioned about what it takes to have eternal life. Most of us get caught in Jesus' instruction to sell everything and in the young man's grieved response. But I think the real key is at the tail end of verse 21 when Jesus says, "then come, follow me." For Jesus it seems to be about the journey. Finding the key to eternal life is not in obeying the commandments, it's not even in selling everything we own, it is in the journey that we are on when Jesus is leading.

I think for the Anaheim Ducks there is certainly joy in saying they are Stanley Cup Champions, but there is a greater joy in the journey that it took to get to that moment. The hours of practice, the bonding with teammates, learning from losses, experiencing wins.

Where are you in your journey? Are you busy looking for the next pinnacle to add to the list or are you enjoying where you are at along the way?