Trusting What Doesn’t Wear Out (As We Head to Guatemala)

We’re packing again.

Not like the RV days—when everything we owned had to fit into a few compartments and every inch mattered.

This is different.

But somehow… it feels familiar.

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Last Night

Last night we went over to our friends’ house—the ones we’re traveling to Guatemala with.

Their table was covered in crafts for the kids.

Supplies laid out.

Bags being filled.

Checklists being checked.

We walked through everything together:

“What do we still need?”

“Did we pack this?”

“Where is that going?”

And I’ll be honest…

She is way more organized than me.

And I’m REALLY grateful for that.

Because as we were going through everything, I could feel something in me settling.

Like, okay… we’re getting this together.

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A Familiar Feeling

But on the drive home, something hit me.

That sense of peace I felt?

It was coming from the plan.

From the preparation.

From the checklist being completed.

And about that same time, I realized—

this felt really familiar.

Almost exactly a year ago, we were packing in a very similar way…

But it was for Africa.

Different trip. Different place.

Same process.

Same checklists.

Same “did we remember everything?”

Same quiet desire to feel ready.

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Same Pattern, Different Season

And just like last year, I can feel it again:

That pull to make sure everything is covered.

That subtle belief that if I prepare enough… I’ll feel secure.

Different season.

Same struggle.

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What Jesus Says About This

Right in the middle of all this, I’ve been sitting in Luke 12:

“Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out…”

And I keep coming back to this:

I naturally build my sense of security on things that do wear out.

• plans

• preparation

• organization

• control

Even good things.

Even helpful things.

Even things I’m thankful for.

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The Kind of Peace That Doesn’t Come From a Checklist

Jesus isn’t telling us not to prepare.

Last night mattered. It was good. It was needed.

Last year mattered too.

But He is reminding us:

Preparation is not where peace comes from.

Because no matter how ready we feel…

There will always be something:

• we didn’t plan for

• we didn’t see coming

• we can’t control

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What I’m Learning (Again)

If I’m honest, I think God has been teaching me this same lesson for a while now.

Through the RV life.

Through Malawi.

And now again, as we head to Guatemala.

Faith doesn’t look like having everything lined up perfectly.

It looks like:

• stepping forward anyway

• trusting in the middle of uncertainty

• letting go of needing full control

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The Question I’m Sitting With

Not: “Do we have everything ready?”

But: “Where am I actually finding my peace right now?”

Because if it’s in a checklist…

it won’t last.

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Before We Go…

We’d really love your prayers as we step into this trip:

• Safe travels and protection

• Meaningful connections and open hearts

• Wisdom to see what God is doing in front of us

• And honestly… deeper trust on our end

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Final Thought

I’m grateful for the plans.

Grateful for organized friends.

Grateful for preparation.

But I’m learning not to depend on them.

Because the things that help us feel ready…

are often the things that wear out the fastest.

And the One we trust?

He doesn’t.

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