My oldest son is half-way through an incredible 20 day trip to Australia. Though I miss him terribly I am confident he is having the life-changing experience God designed for him.

I say I’m confident because even in this day of Skype, instant messages, picture texts and Facebook, he has no intention of contacting us until he arrives home.

I think the reason is partly because A) he’s male, 2) he’s not a verbally-communicative personality, and IV) this trip wasn’t his idea and he is subconsciously punishing me for making him go (Okay, maybe not so much A).

Alright, yes, I pretty much MADE him go on this trip. But in my defense, how could I not? It’s a dream-of-a-lifetime trip (I read the itinerary). It’s safe, well-planned and executed (again, I read up). God brought this to us, so HELLO, right?  I figured the more he knew about it the more excited he would get.

Apparently I. Was. Wrong.

And God is LAUGHING at me.

You see, He knows where my son’s "Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad" attitude comes from.

God has some pretty amazing roads mapped out for me. Unfortunately, they aren’t ones I want to travel. Or, I do want to travel them, but not on His schedule.

What do I do? I stomp my little foot and tell Him I’m not going. I pout (real grown up, huh). Eventually I surrender and remind myself that He has NEVER let me down, and that His roads are ALWAYS FAR better, beyond ANYTHING I can ask or think.  

I know all of this, but I’m still learning it, too.

I choose to pray and believe that my son is learning it too.

Even in Australia.