Travels and Babies

I've been thinking about traveling. No, not like that. I'm not in the process of going from here to anyplace else. I'm thinking about the idea of traveling. And what I'm thinking is probably not a smart thing to write about, given the fact that I have beloved family members in the travel industry. I am not upset at them, or jealous, or anything like that. Definitely not.

For a number of months I've been wondering if traveling has become for many up and coming young Mennonites an unexamined value. It sometimes seems as though people have stopped asking if it's a good idea. It appears that they assume that if the money is there and the collateral damage left behind at the point of departure is minimal . . . why would anyone question its value? Cheap tickets? Off and away!

Disclaimer: Hiromi can talk himself out of traveling even before the idea occurs to him. When taking a trip together occurs to me first, he reflexively tries to talk both of us out of it. That often leaves me looking for a way to be happy without traveling. Sometimes, though, we end up going somewhere together and having a good time. Money is always an issue, so even if we'd like to do it again soon, it doesn't happen because we can't afford it. Most of the time that doesn't bother us.

So what's the guideline?

When the money is not there and/or our absence inconveniences others to an unseemly degree, we probably ought to stay home--unless someone away from home is in dire need of our presence, or it's very clear that we can be a bigger blessing by going away than staying home. Beyond that, going or staying ought both to be considered by first having a conversation with God. He might have an opinion, and if He did, we ought to want to know.

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I've been noticing babies a lot recently, and I've come to agree with my sister-in-law, Rhoda, who says she thinks they're always cute. I wasn't so very sure at first, but I think she's right. A baby really can't be ugly. The innocence, the eyes, the soft skin and hair, the chubby cheeks, and oftentimes the ready smiles are really irresistible. I don't care for the distraction of big bows and flowers and whatever-it-is that often gets stuck on the heads of baby girls. Then, all I can see is the artificial stuff--unless I really concentrate. I'd rather see the God-made little face--the gateway to the personality--without distractions. Anything so beautiful needs no further decoration.

Granted, a hyperactive mind and an aversion to ostentation are not everyone's lot in life, as they are mine, so probably not everyone agrees with me. Perhaps another consensus would be easier to achieve: Simplicity and modesty always create a suitable "frame" for an intricate work of art; an ornate frame draws attention to itself and detracts from the "painting."

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