andi oakes

“While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul travelled through the interior provinces.  Finally he came to Ephesus, where he found several believers.”  Acts 19 v1

I wonder how many times I have read verses like this and not really grasped the weight of what was being said.  Verses like these seem to be only the links that bind the more interesting bits of the greater story together, like those little “map scenes” in the Indiana Jones movies where they show a line travelling across the globe indicating the journey that’s being under taken by our intrepid heroes.  How long they take to get there or the route and means they use is of little importance to the story – all we want to know is that they actually arrive.

But the journey is important.  It’s the journey that, in many ways, shapes us.  How long did it take Paul to reach Ephesus?  Where did he stay along the way?  How long was he travelling through the provinces?  Who did he meet?  What did he see?  How did he feel? 

There is so much that us left unsaid in this little verse, and yet it quite possible that the journey to Ephesus, by way of the provinces, was quite uneventful in terms of what Paul was used to; but that doesn’t mean it was unimportant.  What was God building in Paul’s character during this time?  What conversations was he having with his co-workers and the people they would encounter, that were influencing his thoughts?

Journeys cost.  They cost money, yes, but they also have adeeper cost.  The cost of leaving home and loved ones; the cost of comfort and security – journeys always cost.

It seems to me that if we believe we have a destiny to fulfil and a mark to make on this world, then we must be prepared to do a lot of “travelling” in order to get there. We must be prepared to disappear for a while into the mundane and allow ourselves to embrace the costly reality of the journey.  Yes, there may be an exciting destination ahead; but unfortunately we do not have the luxury of being able to cut to the“map scene” and thus avoid the actual travelling that’s involved in getting there. 

If you are convinced you have somewhere to go and something significant to do when you get there – then be advised…you’re going to have to probably spend a lot more time than you realise “travelling through the interior provinces.”  You can’t avoid it. 

So my advice is: Trust Jesus and just tryand enjoy the ride.