After months of lockdown, my wife and I were ready to get out of the house. After all, we could take precautions on the road while visiting family, friends and some nice places along the way. That was the plan as we set out on a journey that took us across ten states, 5000+ miles, and eleven hotels in 19 days. We prayed and GOD answered with His protection!
I hadn’t seen my family in person for years, so we made a point to visit them in Tennessee. I discovered they are going through the same struggles as the rest of us. I gave them some long overdue hugs, told them I love them and that JESUS is the answer to all our problems.
We also visited the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum in Kentucky. We’d heard good things and wanted to see for ourselves. I was surprised at the scope and quality of the Ark exhibits. The Creation Museum displayed in-depth explanations and scientific details supporting creation and showed contradictions in secular theories. I didn’t need convincing about the truth of the Bible, but it was worth the trip and I am thankful they are letting their light shine.
We toured the Biltmore Estate, located in the hills of Asheville, North Carolina. The spectacular mansion is the largest residence in North America and a symbol of money they had made. Susan missed her rice and found a highly rated Asian restaurant that didn’t disappoint us, but it was located downtown, in an area hit hard by the pandemic shutdown. The estate was a display of wealth, but the city showed the pain and suffering some are going through.
Charleston, South Carolina was much different, with a long history shaped by the Atlantic Ocean and the rivers that run by it. Stately homes with long piazzas (porches) are surrounded by massive trees that gave some relief from the relentless heat and humidity. Along with some local history, we discovered shrimp and grits! We will remember that Charleston favorite, long after we have forgotten the details of their history.
A week in Florida gave us a chance to catch up with old friends and spend time with more of my family. We also enjoyed a few days in Miami, where we saw mansions of the rich and famous and “Little Havana” where Cuban refugees enjoy the freedom some of us take for granted. The drive home was made longer as we avoided the storm damaged Louisiana and Texas coasts. We were glad to make it home, even as we mourned the end of our trip.
As much as we enjoyed our trip, there is another one we look forward to the most. There won’t be long hours on the road or a need for hotels. We will see our loved ones, but we won’t have to leave. There will be great mansions, but those will be our homes. There will be wonderful sights to see, but that vacation will never come to an end! It will all be possible because “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 KJV) and because we believed!
Wayne Lance (2020)