Sixteen hours in a van is a long time for a young child waiting to arrive at an exciting destination.
Growing up, we used to make the long trek to visit my grandfather’s farmhouse in rural Maine. My dad would load my two siblings and me into the van at two o’clock in the morning. He would tuck us in with pillows, blankets, and stuffed friends, and pray we would go back to sleep at least until the sun started to come up.
Once we were awake and had made the first potty and food stop, the three of us would dive into the crates at our feet that we filled with the toys and activities of our choosing. On several of these trips, my father was able to borrow some equipment from work, and we would watch VHS tapes on a small tv screen that sat strapped securely between the front two seats. After the movies had been watched, all the toys played with, and several potty breaks later, the time would eventually come when one of us would ask the age old question… “Are we there yet?”
We typically made it through a good portion of the day before someone would break the seal and ask, “How much longer?” After that first time, the question would come in all of its various forms in shorter and shorter intervals. Eventually, we would all get to the point where we were desperate to be finished riding in the van. We just wanted to be there already.
While I have grown in my tolerance for long car rides as I have aged, I have found my tolerance for waiting for other things in life can still be pretty limited.
I know God has a season for everything (Ecclesiastes 3), but I am not always excited about His timing. My dog should learn to catch a frisbee in the air by the end of next week. My children should be able to do a new chore with excellence after I have demonstrated exactly how to do it. I feel like my husband is ready for the job promotion sooner rather than later. I want my blog to be a big success now.
It also goes deeper than that. The healing of my heart should have happened fully already. The self-critical voice in my head should be silent by now. I should be able to completely trust in the love that my family declares for me at this point in my life.
Are we there yet, God? Why are we not there yet?
Why haven’t I found full and complete healing? Why do I continue to struggle with the same things that I have battled with for the last decade or more? Why haven’t You revealed your plan for our family yet? Why do I still feel so much pain in this specific area of my life?
Psalm 27:14 says “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”
“LORD, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God.” Psalm 38:15
Sometimes we just have to wait. God is faithful, and He will finish the work He has started in us (Jeremiah 29:11). My father used to tell us that God is never late, seldom early, and always on time. God’s timing is perfect, no matter how I feel about it.
He will bring healing when the time is right. He will restore relationships when hearts are ready. God’s will reveal His plans at just the right moment. Understanding will come when He deems the moment is right.
“Let us hold unwavering to the hope that we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23
What are you waiting on God for right now? Do you find it easy to believe that His timing is always perfect?
When I do choose to wait, God always shows up. Whether I am patient about it or not affects my anxiety level and my relationship with Him. I know God can never be rushed. I also know that He has a reason for His timing, and that it will always be better to do it His way. Somehow, though, that doesn’t always make the wait easier.