Would you drive 500 miles to meet David?  Today I did.  Now, I was not aware that I was coming to Petersburg, KY to meet David.  I was under the impression that I was driving a van load of kids up to experience the Creation Museum tomorrow.  I thought I was hanging out with a few of the youngest members of the church…you know the indirect kind of discipleship we often miss because we are so classroom focused?  I had just about finished unloading the group’s luggage from the van onto the luggage cart when a car pulled up behind the van.  I was blocking the drive under so immediately I began wondering if I was violating some hotel parked car time limit.  We didn’t have heavy luggage…just a bunch of different bags shoved under seats and in every crevice we could find.  Out of the car stepped two men dressed in some sort of uniforms.  I avoided eye contact out of fear I was going to be asked to, “hurry up and move.”  Finally, I had everything loaded, and with the help of another parent, I began to make my way into the hotel.  It was just about then that I overheard one of the guys in uniform say that he was at the wrong hotel.  We are staying at the Comfort Suites.  He was supposed to be at the Country Inn and Suites.  He had been dropped off at the wrong hotel.  I started to make my way out to move the van when he asked me if I was running a shuttle service.  I did have a rather large van, but, no, I wasn’t  a shuttle service.  However, as I walked him out I told him I’d be happy to give him a ride.  Over the next 1/4 mile trek to his hotel I learned that he had just been laid off/fired from a job he hadn’t been working at very long.  I tried my best to connect with him as quickly as I could because I sensed there might be an opportunity to share Jesus with this hurting young man.  I asked him a general question about his relationship with God and then remembered something I’d heard Loui Giglio and others say.  Lots of people are ok talking about God…it’s when you start getting specific about the person of Jesus Christ that things get interesting.  So, I knew I had to pray for the right way to get specific.  The time came and I honed in on Jesus and His love for David specifically.  It was an opportunity 500 miles away from home that I’m glad I was given tonight.  I plan to talk to the kids in the morning about the journey we took up here today.  We miss so much along the way because we are looking ahead to the destination.  We get so focused on the leaving and arriving that the going is often neglected.  We are excited to leave on the trip and get to where we are going.  We can’t wait for the last mile.  Like the kids tonight, we can’t wait until we can see the hotel off in the distance.  The end is in sight.  Time to celebrate, shut it down, relax, retreat…finally the journey is complete.   Tonight, I found out that the most important part of my trip was the 1/4 mile after I thought I’d arrived.  The part where I met David.  I’m wondering now if I would make the drive all over again for no other reason than just to have the same encounter with the same results…a shared testimony, an encouraging word, and a promise to pray.  Reminded that Jesus traveled much further for me and overwhelmed with gratitude.  So, would you drive 500 miles to meet David?  What about 1/4 mile to meet someone God has called you to love tomorrow?