I have published parts 65-71 of The Book Of Benjamin Kareth to Amazon.com. I have also updated the Time Line of 100 Books.

August 27th I began writing the next 7 books. Today I want to share with you the first chapter (Work in progress) of Part 72: Where All Journeys Grow.

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Part 72: Where All Journeys Grow

Chapter 1: Growth

V2.0 – 10/2/2025

I stood to my feet and walked across my porch to stand against the railing. I looked out past my car in the driveway, past the country road, and past the open fields beyond it. The sun was just rising. Its light shone golden red over the ripe, white fields in the distance. I took in a deep breath of the crisp morning air through my nose and exhaled it out slowly through my mouth. I repeated that a few more times feeling my body respond to the surge in oxygen. I could feel myself waking up more with each breath.

I stretched my arms behind my back pulling my clothing tight around me. I wore my jeans and a simple grey t-shirt. Over those I wore my dark blue hoody zipped tightly around me. I stretched my bare feet that were snug in my fuzzy house shoes and felt the warmth of them against the cold morning air that seeped in. I stepped back a few steps and bent forward to try to touch my feet with my hands. I couldn’t quite reach them, but I felt the stretch all through my legs and back. I held that position for a few minutes and then brought my body back to a standing position.

I turned my attention to the spiritual world around me. I felt peace. I felt the Spirit of God hovering around me. Although I couldn’t see him with my physical eyes I knew that Jesus stood next to me there on the porch. I turned my spiritual eyes slightly to take in His form. He stood looking out across the fields at the sunrise. His face was neutral, almost thoughtful. The slightest smile etched his cheek.

“What are you thinking about?” I asked Him aloud.

I saw Him turn His gaze to me and smile. He put an invisible hand on my spiritual shoulder and squeezed it. I felt more of His peace flow into me. He shone brightly and I knew that He muted His full radiance so as not to render me nonfunctional in this place.

“I was thinking of what you.. of what we… must soon face.” He said. His voice was strong and powerful as always. His words echoed within my spirit, unmistakably the voice of my Savior. I sensed Him turn back to watch the sun rising in the distance. He slowly took His hand from my spiritual shoulder. The sun’s light was brighter now.

Jesus spoke again to my spirit, “I was thinking of all I’ve planned for you and of how excited I am for what is coming into your life now.”

“It’s been quite the journey already.” I said thoughtfully with a sigh.

He smiled at me again and replied, “Yes, it has, but the end is in sight now.”

“Yes.” I agreed, “But from what you have told me the most difficult part of the journey still lies ahead.”

He nodded in reply.

I took another deep breath into my aging lungs. I had recently turned 43 years old. The years were flying by. I stepped forward and put both my hands on the wooden railing of my porch and asked aloud, “You said that the next part of the journey would take me up a mountain. When am I going to start up that mountain? And where is this mountain that I am going to climb?”

He let silence answer my question. Peace filled in the space that my words had made in the air. Jesus had so often answered my questions with silence. I knew that when it was time for Him to answer my questions He would. Unlike human questions and answers, questioning my Maker about my life didn’t require answering. He knew it. I had learned it. I had learned to trust His timing. The answers would come in His time.

I heard the quiet chime of my coffee maker from inside my house. I turned from the railing and opened the screen door of my house and entered. I walked into the kitchen and turned the coffee maker off. Its carafe was filled with a solid black liquid. I smelled the coffee’s rich aroma wafting through the air. I took a deep smell of it. I loved the smell of coffee in the morning. It brought my body alive with craving.

I looked down at the black ceramic mug that sat waiting on the counter. Within it was a pile of the monk fruit sweetener I had recently changed to using. I hoped it was better for me that the white sugar I had been using before. I walked over to the refrigerator and removed a half gallon of vitamin D milk and returned to set it next to my mug. I got a silver spoon from one of the drawers and set it next to the mug.

I thought about what Jesus had said about Him being excited for what was coming next for me… for us. If He was excited then I should be too. Shouldn’t I? I had discovered that God’s idea of excitement was far different from mine. I knew He did all things well, but usually that meant a difficult and painful journey for me. I knew I was His. I would do whatever He asked of me. I had come too far on this journey to quit now.

I took the carafe of coffee and poured the steaming liquid into the mug up to just slightly below the rim. I always left the same amount of space for milk, for the perfect amount of milk. I returned the carafe to the coffee machine and lifted its lid to allow it to cool. I would clean it when it had cooled down later. I took the silver spoon and stirred the monk fruit sweetener and coffee together, then poured some of the milk into the mixture. It turned from black to a light cream color. The mug was now filled to the very brim. I took another deep breath and returned the milk to the refrigerator.

“Thank you.” I said aloud to God as I returned to my mug. “Thank you for the simplicity of coffee in the morning.” I felt His acknowledgement to my thanks in my spirit.

I gently raised it up to my lips and sipped the cream-color liquid. “Heaven.” I thought to myself. I felt the coffee slide down into my stomach as it set my body aflame. I stood for another few moments enjoying the sensations. I took another sip. Pure bliss. I wondered if there were coffee atop this mountain I must climb and then laughed aloud at my silly thought.

“I love you.” Jesus whispered to my spirit. I turned to look in the direction of the front door. I sense Jesus standing just inside the door. He was watching me as I enjoyed my coffee. I walked over to Him.

“I wish I could offer you some.” I said aloud.

He smiled and replied to my spirit, “One day you will.”

I smiled at that and took another sip of my coffee. I walked back out onto the porch and sat down in my chair. The sun had risen above the horizon and shone brightly now. I watched as the dew on the roof of my car disappeared in the rays of light from the sun’s rising. Time passed. I sat and enjoyed my coffee.

I had spent most of my life rushing around trying to accomplish something but never quite knowing what I was doing. I knew now most of that meant nothing. What mattered is what God wanted from my life. Today, this morning, I was resting in the simplicity of this life I’d been given. Soon the journey would find me again. God would send me wherever to do whatever, but for this moment I sat and enjoyed all He had created.

I enjoyed the simple fellowship I now shared with my Maker. I sensed that Jesus stood not far from me on the porch looking out over the scenery. He enjoyed just being with me. Why had it taken me so long to realize who He was and how He felt about me? I shook my head to myself. I suddenly was overwhelmed with gratitude for all that God had given me.

“Thank you, Father. Thank you for all that you’ve given me. Thank you for the 43 years of my life and all the things you’ve carried me through.” I prayed aloud from my heart.

I felt the Father smile, at the same moment I sensed Jesus’ smile, and I felt the approval of the Holy Spirit that hovered over my house and flowed within me.

“You’re welcome.” I felt the Holy Spirit whisper within me.

I took another sip of my coffee.

I thought about the unity I felt from Them, from Him, from God. I thought about how He had taught me that I was a triune being created in His image to be united with Him in Christ. I wondered at this still. It was beyond my understanding… but I accepted it. I wondered if others knew the truth. I wondered if others shared a similar relationship with God as I did.

“Do others have a relationship with You as I do?” I asked Him.

“I have a unique relationship with all My children. Each one relates to me as I relate to them. My journey with each one is just that, a journey. Everyone is on a different part of their journey with Me. Relationships begin. They grow. To the degree that my children give me their time is the degree that they know me.” Jesus answered. I watched Him walk over to the steps of my porch and sit down on the topmost one.

I glanced at the empty chair next to me and wondered why He had not sat next to me. I stood and walked over and sat down on the step next to Him. I felt His presence so strongly next to me. I could feel the warmth of His being against me, the fire of His presence.

“How can I help others know you like I do?” I asked Him softly.

I turned my attention to Him and watched Him watching the birds fly from tree to tree in the distance. He was so peaceful, so calm. It was as if we could sit here forever and never need anything else. I wanted others to experience this with Him too.

He turned to look at me and replied, “You do that by obeying Me.”

I nodded to that. I always felt like I should be doing more, but He always reassured me that my obedience was exactly what I should be doing. I was right where He wanted me to be at this moment. Right here with Him. I soaked the thought of that in. It was such a contrary thought to the way my culture desperately strived for more and strived to be more without actually gaining anything.

We sat in silence for a long time. The sun rose in the sky. My coffee cooled in the mug in my hands. I sipped at it. The chill of the morning air was replaced with the warmth from the sunlight streaming down on me. I sat my coffee mug down on the porch and took off my hoody that had become too hot in the sun. I discarded it with a toss to one of the chairs and picked back up my mug.

I never wanted to leave this moment with Him. I knew that one day I would spend eternity like this with Him. He was my hope. On the other hand, I also knew that He still had good work for me to do in my life. I wanted to finish my race and run it well, not for myself, but for those who didn’t know Him yet. I had gained everything because I had Him. I would spend the rest of my life obeying Him so that others could know Him. Easier said than done.

Tears filled my eyes as I thought of all those who had never known a peaceful moment with Jesus. I blinked and let the tears run down my cheeks. I wanted so desperately to be out there doing the work but knew that these peaceful moments with Him were just as important. These were the foundational moments that would bind us in our relationship and would carry me when the journey became difficult.

I steeled myself for whatever was coming next.

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