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Have you ever considered what special purpose God may have in a vacation you plan to take? Several years ago that idea was planted in my head as my husband and I were making plans for an epic road trip across country. Our main goals for that three-week journey included lots of sight-seeing and a family reunion in Georgia, my birthplace. The details of planning that kind of trip were daunting enough, yet a niggle of an idea kept nudging its’ way in as we charted our course and made hotel reservations. God seemed to be telling me that I should ask Him what His special purpose in our trip might be. 

So, after I bowed my head and asked God if he had some added purpose for our vacation, the clear message He whispered back was: Pray for all the believers you meet along the way. Although that trip began with a major set-back that nearly derailed the whole vacation, God used it to His purposes. The results of applying that special added purpose to our trip brought an anointing throughout the vacation with thrills and blessings that are immeasurable.

After that blessed experience, we determined in our hearts to always ask our Lord what His purpose for our travels are before we leave for vacation. One such trip followed with its’ own set of surprises and delays that revealed a unique purpose that only God could’ve tailored for us. We were set to travel to Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota, but it wasn’t until we were fully on our way before God revealed what His purposes were in that journey.

Knowing there were no straight flights to our destination, we chose to fly to Denver then rent a car and do some sight-seeing on route to Rapid City, So. Dakota. However, our flight was delayed by and hour. While patiently waiting at LAX, a young woman sat next to me and a conversation ensued. I learned very quickly that she was at a spiritual crossroads in her life. She was trying to decide if she should become a missionary or nun. God whispered to me to just listen. So I did. We had a wonderful chat and though I mostly offered my ears and a few short comments, it was clear she felt relieved by the end of the hour’s wait.

Then at the car rental in Denver, there was another hour’s delay towards our six-hour drive. Needless to say we got a late start that nixed any time for site-seeing on route. At around 8 pm, we found ourselves, feeling bedraggled, famished and in a very small town with only two restaurants. We picked the one that looked the best and entered at a late hour for dinner. Our meal took longer than it should’ve because they discovered the fish in my order was spoiled. By the time we got served and finished eating, we were closing the place down. As Larry got up to pay at the window, a young woman whom we hadn’t yet seen, came out and began bussing the tables. 

It was then that I heard the Lord whisper: “Compliment the young woman.” I observed this stranger closely trying to figure out what I could say. Then I knew. As she got close to our table, I asked: “Did anyone ever tell you that you look a lot like a girl who was in a famous painting?”

“No,” she said, “But I like to paint.” Wow! Obviously God knew we had something in common—art.

So a conversation about painting began, but before I could say “Vermeer, a Dutch artist.” this young woman began to open-up her whole life to me. She had a very tragic story of molestation and abuse by an older brother which was magnified by the denial of the rest of her family.  Added to that, she’d been bullied mercilessly at every school she’d attended.

“If my grandmother hadn’t sent me a plane ticket and given me this job, I don’t know what I would’ve done.” She proclaimed. Then; “You see that guy sitting at the table behind you?” As she pointed, I turned to see a young man eating his dinner. “He’s my fiance’. Well, you might as well say we’re married.” She went on. “Because we just had a baby, but the baby died.”

Although I didn’t know this beautiful young woman, my heart ached for her. “I don’t even know you, but you’re gonna make me cry.” Indeed, tears were already brimming in my eyes. “Would it be all right if I prayed for you?” I asked.

She humbly nodded yes. We stood in the restaurant and held hands while I prayed out loud for this beautiful child of God. At the “amen,” and in timely fashion, Larry returned to the table having paid our bill. She looked up and said something sweet about me being a “treasure.” 

I felt humbled and honored to be used by God in the young stranger’s life that day. As we drove on, towards our destination, I began praising Him for all the delays that made it possible for that meeting and the meeting at LAX. But it wasn’t the last one of that nature to happen. Another divine appointment occurred two days later. It also involved a long delay getting somewhere and a waitress. Of course, by that time, I was pretty much expecting God to do it again. And He did. The next encounter also revealed a young woman with a tragic life’s start but a happy ending. 

As she sat us at our table, she commented, “You’re here at the perfect time.” I knew she meant that we’d get better service since it was late, and things were slowing down. But, of course, by then I knew that it was God’s perfect timing. I also knew she’d probably have some extra time to share with us. As we finished up and paid our bill, I asked how long she’d lived in that area. Not so surprisingly, it opened another deep tale of a troubled childhood. Because of abuse, she had been taken out of her home by authorities when she was very young. But happily, she was adopted by a wonderful Christian couple and it was evident that she was now a happy and well-adjusted young woman.

• Adding a humorous note and reminder of God’s Sovereign hand in all things, not long after the first encounter with the waitress, we made a wrong turn and missed a speed limit change. While waiting to see if the police officer was going to give us a speeding ticket, I nearly laughed out loud as I realized it was God’s way of telling us to slow down and trust in His timing. We may have been on our way to Mt. Rushmore, but He wanted us to Rush Less. God had His own purposes set-out for us on that trip, we just needed to slow down and look for them. Oh, and thankfully we did not get a ticket. 

So, as you prepare for a vacation this summer, I hope you will consider one other important matter—God’s purpose in it, then pray and ask Him what it is. If you’ll be traveling with children, you can get them involved too. They may even want to ask God if He has some special purpose in it that’s just for them. Then be on the lookout for opportunities to apply that added purpose to your travels. Watch and see if your freshened focus brings any new and exciting dimensions to your vacation.

If you’d like to read more of the story that led us to ask God what His purpose in our travels were, you can purchase my book “Fresh Eyes: Seeing God in the Unexpected.” Order it right here on my website “books” page, or through Amazon. I’d love to hear about your purposeful vacations too. So, leave a comment here or let me know if this post inspired you. 

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