A group from our church left this morning on a mission trip to Belize. Last night at our weekly prayer meeting, we gathered around them and stretched our hands towards them and prayed. We prayed for safety. We prayed for clarity. We prayed for strength. We prayed for God’s power and truth to shine through their actions. Our pastor prayed at the end, and his very first words struck me to the core.

“Lord, we trust You will be with them for every mile of this mission.”

Every mile.

It caused me to pause and think about how He is with us for every step of our journey, no matter where we may go.

He is with me for every mile here at home. Even the “uneventful” ones. Each day when I greet smiles, frowns, and tears at my classroom door, He is with me. When I pull teeth, fish unknown debris out of eyelashes, check heads, tie shoes, button pants, and search for missing jackets while still teaching children to read, write, and have a sense of numbers and counting, putting together and taking away, He is with me. When I am packing lunches, unpacking folders, making dinner, and going over homework, He is with me. When I am supervising the toothbrush dance and bedtime routine, He’s there. When I’m planning and dreaming for the future with Chris, God is there. When I’m sitting at the piano with words and songs in my heart and mouth and fingers, He’s there.

Every mile.

I tend to be very introsopective (okay, maybe self-centered). I think about my own thoughts ALOT. I’ve always done this. So it’s easy for me to think of when He’s with me.

He’s with you on every mile of your journey, too. The good roads and the bad. He’s there. The mundane, the extravagant, the new and old. He is there.

He is cheering for you, crying with you, holding you, guiding you, and redirecting you. He is waiting for some of you. He is carrying others.

It’s amazing how much ground we cover in one day. My sister realized (because of her nifty smart phone) that she walked over five miles at work the other day. Imagine the peace and joy that we could gain in our lives if we acknowledged the God who was with us for every mile of our journey?

Every mile, He is with us. Whether we travel across the ocean or across the street. Whether we are reaching unreached people of different nationalities or we are giving a smile to the elderly, He is with us. Whether we are pulling teeth or punching numbers, He is there and He is giving us a purpose for life.

Every mile. Every step. Every breath.

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  ~ Jesus