Travelling the World for the Glory of God (Part 1)

This week, my husband and I have started packing for our eagerly awaited holiday to the USA. I have been finalising our itinerary, buying last minute supplies, and attempting to work out what on earth to pack. As each day has passed, excitement has built with the realisation that this holiday is almost upon us. This anticipation has been far more enthusiastically expressed by myself than my husband (who says he is ‘looking forward to it’ but won’t really be excited until we are going), so in an attempt to share my joy, I frequently ask the question ‘what are the top 5 things you are looking forward to in the trip?’. In asking this, and hearing my husband’s responses, it has made me conscious of the reasons why I am so excited for this time away, and has consequently caused me to reflect on some ways we should be intentional in seeking to use our time on holidays to serve and glorify God.

Over two posts, we will look at five ways we can be intentional in glorifying God as we travel or go on holiday:
1. Time spent enjoying God’s creation
2. Time spent reflecting
3. Time spent resting
4. Time spent in communion with the Lord
5. Time spent serving

A God Who is Bigger than Cancer

3 years ago, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. It’s not one of the well-known cancers you would have heard of before; in fact, I had never heard of it prior to starting my medical degree. My dad had never heard of it either, until the doctor told him ‘I think you might have Myeloma’ – which meant absolutely nothing to him, until he came home and reported the doctor’s suspicions to me. I remember it so clearly, the way he said recalled the name so unconcerned, without any concept of the implications of the diagnosis placed before him, and I stared at him, shocked, confused, and uttered, “Dad, myeloma is a cancer”.

And there started our journey as a family, of blood tests, bone marrow biopsies, scans, chemotherapy regimens, and two stem cell transplants.