The Treasure Is the Trip
The Journey Has Its Rewards
by
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Sunday was church, as usual, and some rest for Monday to get payroll to the point of cutting checks on Wednesday, payday. Tuesday, I would catch up on the ironing. It had been a warm, calm Sunday and I was watching TV in the bedroom and napping a bit before actually getting in bed. Spencer was in the family room doing the same. We have different taste in some programs. The phone rang about 11:00 and though it is late, I’m not too concerned because employees do call all hours to say they can’t work and Monday is the day before the holiday and it could be a long weekend for someone. I prepared myself for an excuse, but I wasn’t prepared for the call – from Maryland. She introduced herself as the aunt of Dallas’ roommate, Gerald, and wanted me to know that Dallas was in the hospital in Maryland. Her voice was controlled and quiet as she spoke of the accident. It was Gordon’s car and Gordon’s wallet that had been found and it was first thought that it was Gerald driving. They did look quite a bit alike and she had been notified by the authorities. She had even been to the hospital and thought it was Gerald in the bed in a coma, until he called and expressed concern because Dallas hadn’t returned with his car, yet. It seemed that Dallas, being the gentleman that he always is, had volunteered to take a young lady home about 4:00 a.m. when her boyfriend didn’t want to leave. Gerald suggested he take his car because it was parked much closed that Dallas’. He always put his wallet under the driver’s seat for safekeeping when he went out. Only then did she know it was Dallas laying in the hospital bed with a fractured arm and in a semi-coma. He had been extracted from the wreck with the jaws-of-life and helicoptered to the hospital Saturday morning about 5:30. When she said ‘he is alright. I said, “Alright?” in a semi-coma didn’t seem alright to me. I felt the beginnings of a cold sweat develop on my forehead. I leaned against the chest of drawers and tried to realize that this was a real call about my son. Fear which I had not felt before was there with me and I had to force myself not to faint. Then, Spencer appeared in the hall, being curious about the late phone call. He was only hearing my end of the conversation was gathering the news. I heard him in the bathroom throwing up. It is funny how people react to awful news. I felt faint and he felt sink. I picked up a pencil and wrote on the telephone book cover the name of the hospital, the phone number and the city. As I was taking notes, I had the immediate confidence that God was involved in this happening.
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About the Book
| Have you ever wondered if God was there—or even if he was, that he cared? Have you ever gotten mad at God and thought you knew better? Have difficulties made you question God’s power, love, and goodness, or do you just feel impatient and lost? In The Treasure Is the Trip: The Journey Has Its Rewards, author P. J. Brown shares her honest and inspiring personal story of spiritual growth over a lifetime. From her early years growing up to her marriage and subsequent entry into motherhood, Pat always believed in God and expected him to work things out. But her relationship with God was not what it could have been, and Pat could not escape a feeling of being lost. So with a lot of prayer and perseverance, she would make the choice to seek God first—a decision that would later give her and her family the strength to face traumatic loss. While most of us are looking for the treasure, it’s the journey that is most important. The treasure is the trip; the destination is heaven. The destination is in God’s hands, but the trip is in ours. We have the directions, the Word of God, and we have the guide, which is the Holy Spirit; we will get to our destination, but will God get the glory on our trip? |
About the Author
P. J. Brown was soaked in church and Bible studies and thought she knew everything until the age of twenty-six, when God reached down to help her see there was more to life than doctrine and liturgy. She is the mother of five and was married to their father, Spencer, for over sixty years before his passing. Pat and Spencer owned and ran a business together for thirty years, and Pat has also been a sales associate, a sales director, and the chairwoman of her local Christian women’s club. Today Pat lives in Virginia with two of her sons and Sophie, the cat, who has a story of her own.