I once planned a road trip all over the country: Atlantic to Pacific and back again. After awhile, I realized that I didn’t want to go alone in case all those lonely hours getting highway hypnosis meant me falling asleep at the wheel. There was this woman I knew from school who, honestly, I didn’t know too well. We were class friends, so we were friendly and did group projects together, but we never really socialized outside of school.
I don’t know why I was so sure that she was the one to be my road trip companion. I plied her with cheesecake and chai lattes; I offered to pay for all the gas; I told her it would be a once in a lifetime trip. Lucky for me, she agreed. Also lucky for me – we ended up becoming the best of friends. Because really…the odds of this being a good idea were so slim. Who goes on a 6 week long road trip with someone they barely know?
Once we began, we had lots of time to get to know each other. But, eventually, we started having little conflicts, disagreements. Since we were almost constantly together, sometimes we just wanted to be alone, but we were trapped in a vehicle together with, as they say, “miles to go before we sleep.” And I learned something about relationships – any relationships where we’re in it for the long haul, whether family or friend, romantic or church. You have to approach every conflict knowing that, when all is said and done, that person will still be there and you will be, too. You have to weigh how you respond – what you say and what you do – and consider whether you’ll regret it when the dust settles. You have to trust that what unites you is more powerful and more real than what ripples the waters. This is love; this is loyalty; this is hope.