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A Decade Later, A Different Road

Katie Smith


10 years ago we were traveling by car (as seen above) in the countryside of southern France. Our travel garmand was dying and our small, not-so-smart, cell phone was losing the local signal. We were trying to get to our rented AirB&B with a one year-old.


I was beyond stressed and honestly seriously concerned. I was near anger from displaced panic. My husband, on the other hand, was his typical calm, cool, and seemingly collected self, but my cranky child and I were hangry, making for a tense and bumpy ride.


We ended up finding one person in this countryside who spoke French, a language we barely understood. So our plight continued like the cliff-hanger of a romantic comedy. Would we run out of gas and sleep on the side of the road? Or turn into the real Mr. and Mrs. Smith?

Eventually, after an eternity, we spotted another human who spoke a bit of Spanish. This was easier to decode due to our recent time in Spain. He pointed to the "main street," and we located a restaurant in this tiny town where more people gathered and helped us replenish and regroup-- ultimately locating our quaint bed and breakfast just down the road.


Looking back it was a magical storybook adventure. The town was quaint and picturesque, but at that time, it felt like a nightmare. Even though everything worked out, and we ended up in an unbelievable bed and breakfast, I missed out on much of the enjoyment.


I didn’t get to savor the quintessential French dinner because I didn’t have much faith. I wasn’t ready for the "solid food" discussed in 1 Corinthians 3:2, "I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready."


Fast forward a decade, and I am traveling with four kids and my husband on an endless "magical" road trip, sometimes without much cell phone coverage. We had a potential flat tire pulling out of our house on wheels and discarded eighty percent of our valuables. Without even a moment to consider what we were tossing in trash versus storage. There wasn't much time to process or pout. We just had to keep moving.


Our new home, keeps moving without real solid plans, but I feel strangely peaceful. I am munching on solid snacks now and savoring everything-- the good, the bad, and the really ugly.


It is not because I have great faith or the stoicism of Mrs. Smith. In fact it's quite unnatural how we are having to keep rolling with various punches. But I recognize that God, in His divine nature has changed me significantly. I tried many other times to eradicate my faithless timidity, but it was only through God's ways, His design, that I can now enjoy solid food.


All the unexpected hospital stays, all the unknowns with our kids, all the atypical experiences have prepared us for this type of life. It's hard, but it's a good kind of a hard--a solid meat hard rather than warm milk.


Still, if I don't purposefully put on my "new clothes" everyday (Ephesians 4:22-24), then I slip back to bottle feeding. Panic and fear are a byproduct of thinking a pacifier will soothe us, even a digital one with great Google Maps. We are just covering up fear with facades. Then, we miss out on the amazing "coincidences" that occur after all our technology fails us.


There are no coincidences with God, and He never fails. Keep trusting and taking steps in faithful obedience. Eventually you'll find a quaint French town and enjoy every part of the meal!




Solid-eating Carefully & Carelessly

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