Hey Reader,

On the most recent episode of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast, my oldest daughter, Audrey, said something that stuck out to me.

Audrey is the most well-traveled person in our family. When she was growing up, I got so many questions from well-meaning friends and family, wondering if I worried that homeschooling her would make her afraid of the world.

Of course I was worried about that. I worried about everything. 😅

But homeschooling didn't hinder her... in fact, quite the opposite. The world would actually turn out to be barely big enough to hold her.

Uganda, Peru, France, Austria, Scotland, Belgium, Poland, Italy... those are just a few of the places she's traveled so far (and she's only 24!)

Anyway, here's what Audrey said on the podcast that gave me pause. (I've cut it down a little to be easier to read, but you can go listen to the whole thing here.)

Traveling like a pilgrim, not a tourist

Goodness. I've been thinking about this ever since she said it, because I know that for my part, I could really benefit from this kind of posture as I approach every day of my life—travel or no.

What if I approached each morning like a pilgrim, willing to encounter things as they come, rather than going in with an expectation that something is going to go in a certain way?

Would that make me more free to answer the call that's right in front of me?

Would it make me more likely to see my children for who God made them to be?

Would it make me less frustrated at all the "interruptions" that keep a day from going exactly as I expected it would?

I think yes.

And since we're at the front edge of summer, looking out on a new season that so often comes with its own set of Expectations (with a capital E), I wonder if you, too, would benefit from this idea of traveling as a pilgrim rather than a tourist.

So that's my invitation to you today: to travel through summer (whether you go anywhere or not) as a pilgrim.

Here's to encountering whatever God has in store for you and your family in these days ahead. Because none of it is a surprise to Him, of course.

Praying for you!

xo, Sarah Mackenzie

P. S. Here's the whole podcast episode on Youtube, if you haven't heard it yet. 😊

P. P. S.What I'm most excited about this summer is taking you and your kids as pilgrims into the delights of Shakespeare this summer. I bet this'll be nothing like your expectations of "doing Shakespeare with your kids." 😏 It'll be so much better. You might just have to trust me on this one and give it a whirl. ​