We’re Ba-aack!

Just got home last night from our family pilgrimage to Ireland.

We are exhausted and exhilarated at the same time.  How does that happen?  As I began unpacking I came upon the itinerary I made for my parents and John and I.

One thing we have learned is that the itinerary is the thing that keeps you on track when all hell breaks loose — which is sometimes a few times in one day — it was invaluable for keeping 10 people on track with all the miles we covered on this trip.

We started off our epic family pilgrimage with the baby climbing into the car and patiently waiting for us to leave. Which was awesome — except for the fact that nobody noticed that his shoes weren’t on — his only shoes for the trip! ☹️

By the time we arrived at the airport we noticed his bare feet and no time to get shoes or miss our flight. I said a few choice words (not the best version of myself in that moment 😂) but thank goodness for not thoroughly cleaning out the car.

We found his old sandals from last year.  Yay for messy suburbans!

Sure his toes went over the ends, but it would do. This was only the beginning of setbacks and delays and our plane literally turning around only an hour and a half from Ireland.

That’s right, we literally turned around with Ireland almost in sight.  And then we had to wait around for hours in an airport — and do it all over again.

Not going to name names, but let’s just say that “Shamerican Airlines” is on my you-know-what list.

And don’t get me started on the absolutely horrific movies they showed on the only screens on the plane — seriously it was like they were choosing from Hitler’s Netflix account.

But enough of all of that.

Family trips are the best and worst of times — but darn it if I don’t love the adventure of it all (okay hate the delays).

Family pilgrimages are like a bootcamp for learning to accept the disappointments in life, rising above the challenges and discovering the absolute adventure and beauty that God has in store for you once you can let go of trying to control everything.

It did not disappoint.

It was challenging and beautiful and full of laughs and near death experiences — everything our family pilgrimages seem to involve — and we would do it all over again in a heart beat.

Perhaps some might suggest we need to stop making these trips pilgrimages — as they always seem to have their challenges.

But I say the payoff of a family pilgrimage is some of the most beautiful moments we have ever had as a family and so we continue to do these crazy pilgrimages despite what reason tells us we had better do.

I’ll be unpacking it all in the upcoming weeks — believe me, there were so many parallels to what has been going on in our Church that I have to let it all soak in before I can properly make sense of it all.

It was so busy that I decided to stop trying to document things on my social media and really suck the marrow out of life while we were there — and yes — the changing of diapers, refereeing of squabbles in the car, passing food back to ravenous children, trying to navigate the Irish roads (and not die while doing it), and the general packing and unpacking that happens while you travel around a place took up the rest of our time :).

So if you like, you can follow along with some of the footage of our trip over on Instagram Stories or my Facebook page in the upcoming days.

And don’t get me started on the breathtaking, jaw-droppingly beautiful scenery of Ireland.  It was amazing.

The beauty of Ireland has to be the sixth proof for the existence of God.  The weather — maybe not so much.

With all the darkness that has been going on in the Church, I have to say we encountered so much beauty and faith — sometimes I think you just need to know where to look.  More about that later.

So till next week I’ll leave you with the words of St. Patrick’s Breastplate.

I arise today through
God’s strength to pilot me, God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to see before me,
God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me, God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me, God’s host to secure me –
against snares of devils,
against temptations and vices,
against inclinations of nature,
against everyone who shall wish me
ill, afar and anear,
alone and in a crowd…
Christ, be with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit,
Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Christ.
May your salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.

Sharing over at Kelly’s