I noticed the other day, I am quite fast at packing a suitcase. I have this mental list which takes me through an entire day of what I’d need if I simply stayed home. However, when you’re headed somewhere different from home, it’s not always easy to know what to pack.

Last Friday, I began a 60-day journey. This journey is to an unknown destination, yet somewhere I desire to be.

It’s a journey toward a first draft of my first book. That is scary, exciting and stressful all in the same breath. Especially since this journey isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress and purpose.

It’s easy to pack for perfection. Sunscreen – check. Sunglasses – check. Lounge chair – check. Ocean-front view – check.

Packing for progress and purpose is a little messy. It could be cold, hot, humid, dry, rain, snow, sunshine.

“Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3 NLT).

As I gather items for the journey, my first priority is submitting to whatever HE desires for these two months to look like. Packing for this journey is arduous, yet joyous.

Here’s what I’ve packed so far: prayer, time, accountability, desire, motivation, freedom and a whole lot of looking back and praising God for what HE has done and His clever story-crafting skills.

God doesn’t get stuffed in the suitcase, but HE goes before me. HE leads and guides me through every step. When I get stuck, HE says, “Look over here! This fits. This is the next sentence in your story. Here is the next step.”

During the next two months, I hope to journey deeper into my first draft. And deeper into discovering more about My Creator, who crafted this story. I’m not looking for perfection, which is tough for me. I want to say I have a polished story by the end of October. My goal is to get the story out of these journals, blog posts and what’s left in my memory and onto my laptop. I hope the themes of my story will resonate with many even if they have never lived in a different country or battled with cancer.

What do I hope for in the end? Progress and purpose! I want to look at what GOD does in these next two months and say, “Wow!!” and “Yep! HE did immeasurably more than all I could ask or imagine.” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Will you join me? Two chapters are already finished and chapter three is almost complete. I’d love for you to join me in prayer.

What kind of journey do you find yourself on today? Which of those items do you need to locate and pack more of for the journey ahead? Which packing items would you include that weren’t mentioned? I’m not sure where God will take us, but I’m thankful we get to journey together!

Sneak peek from Chapter 3:

Traveling from Germany to Austria: With each train and stop I found my prayer life increasing and my attitude diminishing. The only way I’d make it back, to at least the people I knew in Vienna, was to rely on God to get me there. I think public transportation is really good for your prayer life. You find yourself praying for the most minute details. I prayed about having a seat on the train, opening the train door when it came time to get off, or exiting the train without knocking over people. I was dangerous with every movement because of the huge backpack I carried. 

Stay tuned these next two months because I recently made contact with my stem-cell donor and I want to tell you more of that story. God is so clever in how HE orchestrated every detail!

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Have a great week! Until next Monday . . .