“Are we there yet?” While you might expect these words to be uttered by a young passenger on a long trip, they are in fact my very words to my heavenly Father just two days ago.
A friend and I were on our way to our first ever writers conference. Located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the conference center was approximately six hours from our home in Virginia. Notebooks, pens, books, laptops, back packs and suitcases filled the nooks and crannies of my VW bug. On the road by 7am we were duly pleased with our timely departure, fully expecting to be at the center by 2PM.
In our defense, my archaic bug lacks a GPS. We relied on old fashioned printed directions to complete our journey. Two glitches impacted our plans. 1. We seemed unable to decode the difference between BUS 40 and regular old 40West. 2. I managed to throw away our only copy of the directions not long after glitch number one.
After 8 hours on the road I was definitely asking, “Are we there yet?” My eagerness to be where I was going was causing anxiety. My “co-pilot” on the other hand had no such worries. “It’ll be okay, I refuse to let myself worry about it” she said, before tipping her head back and falling asleep. As I watched her peaceful slumber I tried to imitate her attitude. The passing exit signs did little to remove my concern as the numbers did not seem to be drawing close to our designated exit at all.
“Lord, are we there yet?” I prayed in a pleading voice. Hoping His response would arrive in the form of a sign proclaiming, “Ridgecrest, next exit”. The more I prayed the more I realized I had the same question regarding other things in my life.
- Working toward initiating a new aspect of discipleship with our church, “Are we there yet?”
- Raising our children, now young adults, “Are we there yet?”
- Becoming a writer,“Are we there yet”
These last few days it has become quite clear that God is not working within my time frame concerning these things. I wonder if He wearies of my constant questioning of His pans for me just as I once did when my kids asked me “Are we there yet?”
The sign for our destination popped up on the horizon and relief and delight flooded my heart. I know it is time to stop asking “Are we there yet?” and experience the peace of knowing a sovereign God will bring us to where we need to be in His perfect time.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts you’re your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Tuesday With Teri 
Teri, i have known your co-pilot all my life and laughed when I read about her not being worried about being lost and promptly falling asleep. Ask her how many times in her life she was actually on time for class…
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Teri, what a wonderful post. I go back and forth between being encouraged and “are we there yet” on your first bullet point. I think I will be calling on Isaiah 55 a lot over the next few months (or years…).
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Ask me how many times I was actually on time for class at the conference? It’s a gift, I tell you.
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