Hope for the Wanderluster (Part 3)

we just have to wait, though

I love to travel and explore. If you're like me, wanderlust can be all-encompassing (pun intended.) My soul fiercely craves adventure. I was the 9-year-old girl who dreamed of seeing the aurora borealis and visiting the bazaars of Istanbul. I was the newlywed who got angry when my husband said he felt our family was called to live quiet, faithful lives in America, of all places. I was the suburban mom who felt depressed when I returned from a week in Alexandria and had to reckon with my boring life.

I have maps and globes in my house and on my jewelry. I have always, always, always wanted to explore. And I fully believe God has put that desire in me. And, if you've read this far, your heart probably beats for the same things. You probably get deal emails from Travelzoo and you maybe even have a world map tattooed somewhere. I want you to know something:

A biblical theology of Heaven does not squash that desire for adventure but feeds it! In fact, I'm certain none of us are wanderlusting enough. The only problem is...we have to wait. There are truly awesome things in this world, but even when we encounter them, it's like we're looking through a foggy glass (1 Corinthians 13:12.) The best of the earth is still only a shadow of the great future waiting for us.

In Matthew 19:28, Jesus described the New Earth as "the regeneration" (palingenesia); the same word is in Titus 3:5. What's going to happen to this earth is like what happens to us when the Spirit changes our hearts of stone to hearts of flesh; it's recognizable, and so much is the same, but it's also completely new and restored and full of life.

Our human minds have only known a world of sin and death, so we have trouble even dreaming of what's to come. So we don't try, and instead, we distract ourselves with as much pleasure as we can afford (or more.)

There's nothing wrong with travel. Our family goes on road trips often, and I'll probably see a lot of my bucket list destinations before I die. I would still be okay with moving overseas, like, tomorrow, and I wager that someday I will.

But travel isn't why we are here. This world is not our rest. Vacation and exploration aren't why Christ died for us. He has called us to be "last of all and servant of all" and to make disciples of all nations. And I don't know if you've noticed, but real discipleship is, kind of by definition, completely mundane.

We don't have to feel like slaves to our wanderlust anymore.

We can steward our resources to help people who need clean water more than we need to see the Alps. We can raise our kiddos and care for disabled loved ones happily, without seeing them as a hindrance to our travel goals. We can smile without feeling jealous when friends share photos from Antelope Canyon. When exotic travel ads pop up in our newsfeeds, we don't even need to click on them because we know that we'll get there eventually, except it will be better, and we'll be able to enjoy it all perfectly, with the Maker Himself.

Let yourself dream and daydream about Heaven today, brothers and sisters. The impossibly good has already happened for us in the gospel, and way, way more impossibly good is to come. We just have to wait awhile.

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I wrote this article several years ago on a different blog but felt it might be helpful for some of you today ❤️ It’s part 3 in my series on eternity; Part 1 and Part 2.

I haven’t traveled the world very much, but I did visit a friend in Egypt in 2016, and the complicated flights from that trip took me to Istanbul and Switzerland, so…here are some pictures from a trip that made me look more well-traveled than I am 😉

See that at the top? Those aren’t clouds. They’re the Swiss Alps. I would love to explore them from not-a-plane-window.

Actual Turkish delight in an Istanbul bazaar. Childhood dream fulfilled.

Alexandria, Egypt! This was the view from my friend’s apartment and I was very jealous.

I had dreamed of visiting the Library of Alexandria for so many years and I definitely inconvenienced my friends by making them take me there…and it was just a library. Disappointment of the ages.

The Mediterranean Sea! Notice how all the umbrellas are clustered together? It’s because in Egpytian culture, you don’t want anyone to be alone. In America, we spread out on the beach as much as possible so we don’t have to interact with other humans 😅

Travel (or even just planning travel) makes me feel so alive! But the tasks in front of me make me feel alive, too; I have all of eternity to explore the New Earth and redeemed versions of the places I would love to visit now. Including other planets and even galaxies 😏 (You probably think I’ve completely lost my marbles at this point 😜)

Anyway, I hope you feel encouraged. I hope you daydream a little today. I’ll continue with Part 4 next week!

Love,

Hope