"Daddy, Are We There Yet?"

Not to long back my family was blessed with a wonderful vacation to Florida.  A beautiful Time Share on the beach was just waiting for us to come and enjoy.  A week of restful family time, warm sunshine, and great sea food.  The only problem, 21 hours in the car with a four year old and a one year old stood between us.  We had looked into plane tickets hoping to make the trip easier and shorter.  However the cost was to high.  So we packed the family into the Pontiac G3 and headed south.

The boys did pretty good.  We drove through the night, stopped for breakfast then pressed on.  I had spent several weeks prior trying to explain how long this trip was going to be.  I got out the map and I showed my son Truman where Michigan is and where Florida is.  I assured him over and over that it was going to be a long trip, but daddy knew where we were going and when we got there how great it was going to be.

After 20 hours the breaking point finally came.  From the back seat, pulling on his car seat straps and with a look of agony on his face Truman yells out, "daddy I just can't take it anymore, I gotta get out of here"  I tried to explain that I knew where we were going, and that we were almost there, he just needed to hang on a little bit longer.  His trust in me was wavering, his desire for the beach was gone, all he could think about was how bad it was at that moment.  Every hotel we passed he would say "we can stay there, let's stop there"  I would respond "no son, that hotel is nothing compared to where we are going, this is going to be great, be patient, we are almost there"

Can you relate to this story?  Not the kids in the car, but in your walk with God.  On our journey of spiritual growth we generally start out strong.  We are confident that God is in control and that He knows where He is taking us.  But as the trip continues and starts to get long we stop focusing on the end result and we start focusing on the immediate struggles.  We feel trapped and stuck, although God has explained in His Word how difficult the trip would be, how "long" it is going to take.  We quickly loose sight of the destination.

We reach a point where it just doesn't matter any more.  We cry out "I can't take it anymore, I gotta get out of here."  We start looking around and we think anywhere would be better then where we are now, every "hotel" along the way would provide immediate relief. 

We pressed through the tears and pain, and finally after 21 hours of travel we arrived at the Resort.  We rushed up to our room, slid open the sliding door on the balcony and my son for the first time saw beauty and greatness of the ocean.  All of a sudden the misery of the car ride was worth it.  The hotels along they way that once looked so inviting were forgotten.  The confidence and trust in his father was restored.  We spent a while jumping on the bed, then headed off to put our toes in the sand and feel the refreshing water splash against us.

The same is true for us.  God has a plan, He is in control, and although we don't really understand just how long it is going to take, He knows.  I pray you let this little story be an encouragement to you.  Press on, don't bail out, don't lose sight of the end, trust the one who knows the plan.  I promise you, well actually God promises you it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God:  I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."