The Long Journey
Finding Purpose and Peace While Waiting for Transformation
Most of us have been on a journey—a trip that takes us somewhere. Some journeys lead us back to places that feel like home. For my family, that place is Winneconne, Wisconsin. For more than 50 years, we have returned there each summer.
Other times, people go on excursions—like when my mom went on a mission trip down the Amazon River or traveled to India. Whether familiar or unfamiliar, every journey requires preparation: certain clothes, materials, and often a specific mindset.
My son, Jabari, has been on a very different kind of journey. In its own way, it has been an adventure, but not one he would have chosen. It has required separation from family and walking through circumstances no one could have fully prepared for. There have been detours—some small, some deeply disappointing. The latest came when the parole board denied his parole again. It forced a mental and spiritual reset on a road longer than we expected.
To keep moving forward, we came back to what mattered most. Here are the steps that continue to guide our journey of waiting.
Trust God
One of the greatest lessons of my life has been this: trust God—period.
Not when I like the outcome.
Not when He answers exactly how I prayed.
Not when things are going my way.
But trust God when the answer is no.
Trust God when my heart is breaking.
Trust God when I don’t understand.
Simply trust God because He is God, and His ways are higher than mine.
I don’t always understand the how or the why, but He has proven Himself faithful. He gives a peace that truly passes understanding and a comfort this world cannot offer.
So even when we didn’t like the outcome of the parole hearing, we knew we could trust Him. We believed He would take care of Jabari, no matter the circumstances. That became our commitment—to God and to one another.
Pray Fervently
From that place of trust, we prayed. Not polite, surface-level prayers, but honest ones. Prayers that told God exactly how we felt.
“God, have Your way. Give me wisdom and discernment for this season.”
I prayed for protection, courage, strength, and peace. And yes, I prayed for his release.
Live in the Moment
Waiting can tempt you to put life on hold—wasting the days you are in while longing for the days you want.
We chose instead to live fully in the moment. To make the most of each day between the here and now and the day we are waiting for—when Jabari will walk out free. In doing so, we placed the timing in God’s hands.
Surrender to God’s Timing
Surrender should have been the easiest part; we had no control over the timeline anyway. And yet, it was often the hardest.
Letting go. Not trying to force what we could not change. Trusting that God’s timing is not only different, but better.
Surrender is not passive—it is active trust, lived out daily.
Hold On to Hope
We had to guard against growing weary or settling into disappointment. “No” for today is not “no” forever.
Hope is not wishful thinking; it is confidence that God is still writing the story. We live with the expectation that the day of his release will come.
Hope reminds us that God’s purposes are good. So the question becomes less “Why?” and more “What?”—God, what do You want to do in me and through me during this time?
We believe this season has purpose. That God is shaping, teaching, and using Jabari in ways that could only come through this journey.
Waiting became an assignment, not an abandonment.
Live with Gratitude
And in the middle of it all, we chose gratitude.
Gratitude for the blessings we often overlook. Too often, we are not thankful for what we have because it is not what we want. But the key is to be grateful for what God has already given us.
He opened our eyes to another day of life. We have breath in our lungs. There is food on the table. We can walk, speak, and connect with one another. We have the opportunity to see Jesus in others and share His love with a world that desperately needs it.
There is always something to be grateful for. Living with gratitude became one of the greatest lessons of this long journey.
These are not steps we have mastered. They are steps we return to again and again as the journey unfolds.
This is how we are walking—through long roads, unexpected detours, and uncertain timelines. Even when the destination feels far away, we continue this journey together.
And with grateful hearts, that is one of God’s greatest gifts to us.
