Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? (Jeremiah 23:23 ESV)
Travel and Faith
No, cell phone coverage is not everywhere. I have lived in places where there is no GPS, cell service, or wi-fi. Often when I am on the road, I find extensive regions where my phone displays no bars. The cell phone companies say they are everywhere… but everywhere does not always mean everywhere.
Because, really, rural South Dakota does not matter financially. Really, western Kansas apparently does not need phone coverage. Half of Oklahoma is off the cell phone grid. Most of Nevada does not have a cell phone presence. And even nearby Whitewater, Kansas, only has one cell phone company that is workable.
When we travel, we often find places where the phone companies are not.
Which reminds me that God is better than 5G. He really is everywhere.
He is near at hand, He tells Jeremiah, but also far away.
And that helps make travel a comfortable thing.
If we find ourselves worrying about our own travel, or the travel of a loved one, remember that God has actively helped travelers in precisely the same ways he helps His people at home.
Remember Noah, on the first cruise ship. Remember Abraham, the first immigrant. Remember Jacob, fearfully unrooting to Egypt and finding a NEW home where God also was present. Remember young David, journeying to the Valley of Elah to see a scary fight, but finding God with David in the same way God was with him when fighting bears at home. Remember the exiled Judeans weeping in Babylon but finding that God had not left them nor forsaken them. Remember Mary and Joseph travelling to Bethlehem Ephrathah, to Egypt, to Nazareth, to Jerusalem… all over the place! But never alone.
When travel seems frightening… remember the examples scattered throughout God’s Word. God is near… and God is far.
Take the faith God grants us.