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When my husband and I were planning our wedding 16 years ago, Dennis decided to keep the honeymoon plans a surprise until our wedding night.

I trusted him with nervous expectation. I hoped for somewhere warm; I hoped for the ocean; I hoped for some culture; I hoped he would remember all of the necessary details. I had to trust that he would book the proper flights and the accommodations.

He told me that we were going to Lumby.

He said that Lumby was the “love capital of the world”.

I was pretty sure he was joking, but it made me wonder. What if he actually found some secluded spot in the woods, thinking we should start our marriage off with frugality? Luckily, I do LOVE the woods – I love camping, and cabins, and roughing it with a backpack and hiking boots – but for my honeymoon, I had expectations! I had ideals! Bathing suits, cocktails, surf, sand, and hotel comforts!

But, I had to trust him.

Have you ever experienced what it’s like to not know where you’re going? I had to trust my husband to plan our entire trip for our honeymoon. I had to be willing to accept … that we might be going to Lumby.

When we arrived at our destination city, he informed me that he hadn’t booked a hotel for that first night’s stay. I could feel the panic rising in my chest when I realized we didn’t have a plan. We were in a foreign country (phew, not Lumby!), walking around the city, dragging our suitcases behind us, looking for a hotel. Looking desperate.  It wasn’t as easy as he thought. We were hot and tired after our 16 hour flight and we were getting cranky, trying our best to act positive.  We finally found a hotel with a neon sign that read, “Hotel Ami”. In our current state of desperation, it seemed to be a sign from God himself! We were able to calm down and get cleaned up to explore the city – without suitcases!

I trusted Dennis and it worked out – despite the bumps along the road. In this same way, I need to trust that God knows the destination for the journey that I am on right now. I don’t know where God is leading me, but I know he has a plan.

No, we didn’t go to Lumby. We had an amazing two weeks exploring the ruins and enjoying the culture of Greece: Patmos, Naxos, Mykonos (just beautiful), Mars hill, the Parthenon in the Acropolis, and the Island of Rhodes. We even had an afternoon in Turkey to see the ruins of the City of Ephesus.

Our honeymoon was wonderful. Dennis planned our destination well. It could have turned out differently. He could have made major mistakes, but he didn’t.

It’s unsettling not knowing where you’re going. In my own life, I’ve experienced this through a full range of emotions: fear of the unknown, depression from lack of direction, anxiety about next steps, and excitement at what might be waiting for me. There have been times when I have felt lost and alone in aimless wandering and other times when I’ve felt elated at the freedom and opportunity that might be just around the corner.

I am on a journey and I don’t know the destination, but that’s okay. God walks with me. I will stay close to him, praying that he’ll shout directions when I’m too distracted to hear his gentle whispers.

…maybe Dennis and I will go to Lumby for our next anniversary.