On occasion I am struck by the meaning of a word I have taken for granted.  My most recent epiphany rose as I considered the term “trek”.  I find my oversight amusing since I am an avid “Star Trek” fan, and regularly quote Captain Kirk, Spock and Bones in conversation.  And just so you know, “I have been, and always shall be, your friend.” (Spock)

Why have I never considered the message behind a star trek?  For the Enterprise, it was a five-year journey, filled with trials, dangers, death and discovery.  The mission was “to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before!”  Those who started the journey could not predict where it would take them, but they were committed to the mission, because commitment is a defining characteristic of a trek. 

At the risk of splitting hairs, a trek is a long, arduous journey which requires planning, determination and sacrifice.  A trip can be as simple as a run to the local convenience store to buy a bag of ice. 

With this said, a trip can turn into a trek.  Drawing from the example of a family vacation in which everything goes wrong, and the goal shifts from relaxation to survival, it is possible to find ourselves on a journey we did not choose. 

This truth speaks to all of us who have accepted the call to follow Jesus.  Our journey may have started out as a trip, but it has become a trek.  I love using the word “trek” in this context because I think it accurately represents the nature of the Christian life.  Some people might refer to unfortunate events that occur on a trip as “disasters” or “nightmares.”  But a trek suggests we should not be surprised by the difficulties we encounter, even if we started out with more idealistic expectations.

The beauty of a trek is not found in the struggles we experience, but rather the purposeful maturity we develop on the journey.  The Apostle Paul, while suffering as a prisoner in Rome wrote, “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength”.  This principle was formed in Paul’s mind after years of faithful service to Jesus, in which he was verbally and physically abused for his faith and endured frequent life-threatening events.  In a way, Paul’s journey did begin as a trip, as he was travelling to Damascus with official orders to persecute Christians.  But his trip turned into a trek when the Lord Jesus appeared to him in a vision, and a believer by the name of Ananias visited him and shared God’s vision for his service to the kingdom.

It’s ok to think of our walk with the Lord as a trip, as long as we don’t turn back when our trip become a trek.  And it always will.  Between the challenges God impresses on our hearts, the trials and temptations Satan puts in our paths and the stretching that occurs as we grow in our faith, our journey will always be more than a simple transition between two locations. 

If your trip has become a trek and the journey you are on has become long and difficult, I want to encourage you.  God is with you, as are His people, and the trials you are encountering are to be expected.  You may not have placed them on your itinerary when you began, but they are your new reality.  God understands your way is hard, and He doesn’t expect you to be happy about every circumstance.  Still, He reminds you to take heart, and to know what is happening with you is doing something in you which will ultimately lead you to a place of unimaginable fulfillment. As the brother of our Lord once wrote, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4) 

It is a joy to be on this trek with you.  Let’s pray for one another as we practice faithfulness in the midst of the unexpected.  And in the words of my friend on the Enterprise, “Live long and prosper”! (Spock)