Pilgrim Versus Tourist

PILGRIM      Versus     TOURIST

In 135 days, I am headed to Glory.  I am so excited. I am counting down the days.  I have my confirmation number and my room reserved. I can hardly wait.  It is going to be so much fun.  Slow down.  Don’t panic.  I am not predicting the end of the world or my demise.  I am just headed to Carnival’s cruise ship Glory.  We booked the cruise over a year ago and when I finally step on board Glory it will be completely paid for.  We have booked airline tickets for the day before the cruise, just in case the weather out of Chicago is bad, we are not missing this cruise.  We have booked a hotel in Florida and a shuttle for Sunday morning.  We have gone over every port, every excursion, and every nook and cranny of Glory on line.  All the arrangements are made and now I just wait.  On those dreary, wet, and cold days I think, but in 135 days I will be enjoying Glory.  When a rough day comes my way, I think this won’t last forever, because I am booked for Glory. 

I began to think about how much time, energy, and money I have put into planning my trip to the Carnival cruise ship Glory. I began to think about the impact having a cruise on Glory, bought and paid for, changed my outlook on a daily basis.  Funny isn’t it that I can so easily lose sight of the fact that one day I will actually go to my eternal home that will truly be Glory.   It too is bought and paid for, but someone else paid the price.  Jesus gave His life.  God began planning the day long before I was even born.  He has arranged history in anticipation of that day.  I believe He is counting down the days.  So why does the hope of eternal Glory not have a greater effect on my day-to-day life?  Maybe I am more of a tourist than a pilgrim.

There is a big difference between the life of a pilgrim and the life of a tourist.  A pilgrim is someone who is journeying to a sacred place for religious reasons, while a tourist is someone who is traveling or visiting a place for pleasure. The Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower in September 1620 on a pilgrimage seeking a land where they could enjoy religious freedom.  It would prove to be a dangerous 66-day journey filled with sacrifice.  They brought with them only the necessities of life that would be needed when they arrived.  They very quickly ran out of fresh food; there was no provision for personal hygiene.  They would encounter fierce storms and hurricanes.  They were traveling with crewmembers that mocked their beliefs. The thought of a land where they could worship freely was what got them through.  I wonder if they counted down the days?  They were definitely not on the cruise ship Glory with the midnight buffet.  They were pilgrims not tourists.

 I wonder if someone watched my life for the next month if they would say I was a pilgrim on a journey to a heaven where I will be free to worship Almighty God unhindered, or a person traveling or visiting this earth seeking to find as much pleasure as I can and collecting and consuming as much stuff as possible?  

I pray that this Thanksgiving you enjoy your time with friends and family.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying and being thankful for the blessings and pleasures that God gives us here as we journey.  But just remember – this world is not our home.  We are pilgrims bound for Glory, and not tourists headed to the Carnival cruise ship.