All journeys have a beginning and an end. If you're a hiker, you practice this reality. My father raised me as a backpacker. You trudge the trail away from civilization, but at some point you have to re-enter. Any journey is that way.

Kingdom journeys are about seeing the world from God's perspective. We can learn so much from them, but we only do so when we debrief.

The short spiritual journeys many of us will take this summer reflect in part our great journey through life. And in that regard, we can assess how true our journey has been as we look back on it.

We need to consider how we walk life's journey by asking ourselves what we want it to look like when it is all over. Will we be happy with the way we've invested our years?

To end well, we have to fight our natural tendency toward self-preservation and control. Henri Nouwen observed, "Dying is about giving yourself away, trusting yourself to God." He's talking about a different kind of dying - a dying to self, a letting go of rights that prepares us for our eventual passage into the hereafter.

Embracing the reality of our eventual death not only gives context to our loss and suffering but also frees us to truly live.

Dan Allender says, "For most people, living well means simply doing our best according to the standards of our culture. Am I really willing to move toward the kind of meaning that far exceeds being a ‘good' person? Am I ready to embrace the true meaning of my life and lead a wildly full ending?"