Welcome to 2MinuteMark, a weekly email with one agenda – inspiration from God’s Word
The photos promised peace—
A place away from the busyness of life.
The busyness of a mom with three toddlers,
Demanding attention, diaper changes, and breakfast.
The busyness of a father,
Diligent at work, needed at home,
Even there, work calls pierced the walls of his castle.
They knew they needed a vacation.
Their friends knew it too.
And a friend of a friend had a solution:
A cabin in the mountains.
Rest and relaxation awaited.
But it required travel—
Cross-country travel.
Reality should’ve whispered,
“You’ll need a vacation when you return.”
The phrase “Road Trip,” like the cabin photos,
Promised excitement, family bonding,
A future free from the mess of daily grind.
But the trip was an endurance run,
A marathon of discomfort,
Overwritten by the promise of the finish line.
Finally, they arrived.
And instantly realized—
The photos were from a much distant past.
Weeds as tall as window sills,
Two broken windows,
A gopher hole by the front porch,
Punctured their vacation dreams.
The distance between expectation and reality
Is the story of history.
Our vision of the perfect getaway
Is really a longing to return to Eden—
The difference between a God-designed world
And one of our own making.
We fight to survive the ravages of sin—
Sin and its final payment: death.
But we have an option.
A forward Eden.
It’s called Eternal Life.
Our first thought of eternal life,
Is of its duration; it’s forever.
But its reward is a transformative quality of life.
And it starts right now!
It’s a life where, on earth, sin exists,
But doesn’t control us.
Where God, through the Holy Spirit,
Shapes our thoughts, our environment,
And seals our destiny.
Our best-laid plans are often
Momentary visions of comfort and achievement—
Trophies our children will one day toss in the trash.
A life without an eternal viewpoint
Is a life of weeds and broken windows.
Yes, there are mini-victories.
But it’s always a struggle.
Eternal-life living is so much more.
“In their hearts humans plan their course,
But the Lord establishes their steps.” — Proverbs 16:9
Eternal life begins when we choose God’s plan
Rather than our own.
As for my friend—
Another friend of a friend rescued their trip.
A house near the beach.
A memory-maker.
In a world ravaged by sin,
We’re never alone.
God orders our steps.
And often He sends friends
To help us find the way.
–Mark Coblentz