Are We There Yet?

I love children, but they are some of the most impatient people I know. Have you ever planned a trip with children? They get so excited about where they’re going. They jump in the car, beaming with energy and anticipation, gazing out the window and taking in all the interesting sights. Then, about ten minutes into the ride, they start asking, “Are we there yet?”

You respond, “Not yet, but soon. Just relax and enjoy the journey.”They settle in for a few more minutes, and then again they shout, “Are we there yet?”You shake your head, trying to stay calm. “We’re almost there.”

If it’s a long ride, they eventually fall asleep—after stopping for a bathroom break, of course. Then, about thirty minutes into the continued journey, they wake up frustrated and yell, “When are we going to get there?”

Kids love the idea of traveling to a destination, but they hate the process it takes to arrive.

As I reflected on this, I realized they are a lot like us. We are always trying to arrive. When we are young, we can’t wait to become adults. As freshmen in high school, we can’t wait to be seniors. Then we become seniors, go off to college, and find ourselves freshmen all over again rushing to become college graduates.

We are always in a hurry to get to the next level. We rush to get married. Once married, we want a bigger home. Once we have the home, we can’t wait to have babies. When the babies arrive, we marvel at how cute they are—until we grow tired of how dependent they are on us. Then it becomes, “I can’t wait for them to walk,” followed by, “I can’t wait for them to talk.”

And once they walk, run, and talk, we want them to sit down and be quiet. We are some really impatient people.

I asked God this morning, when do we truly get to where we want to be?

Philippians 1:6 says: "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

And Matthew 28:20 says: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So, I asked God, well… when is the day of Jesus Christ? Are You saying this is an ongoing process?

Although my spirit knows this is a process, I think my head was a little disappointed.

But God reminded me that His job is to guide us through the journey, and our job is to trust Him during the ride.

The ride may, at times, be uncomfortable. It may be unpredictable. The ride may include twists, turns, and detours. However, with every ride, it’s important to notice the view—to enjoy the surroundings and the people meant to journey with us. The ride itself is made up of moments, and moments become memories.

No matter how bumpy the ride gets, we must remember who the driver is. God is familiar with the terrain. He knows when to use the signal light. He knows when to stop. He knows when to push forward. God knows the destination.

God is the best driver we have—so be confident in the Chauffeur.

We truly arrive when we are reunited with our Father—on the day He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” That’s when we’ve arrived.

That reminder let me know I need to get on my job, because I certainly want to hear Him say “well done.” But I also need to pace myself for the ride and stop asking, “Are we there yet?”

Because once we are there… I may have some explaining to do. Lol.