Am I There Yet?

Road Trippin’

Road trips are a summer staple. Sour worms, peach rings, and coolers filled with drinks will only lead to the inevitable … multiple bathroom stops. And is there anything more invigorating than having the music up full blast with your windows rolled down? This encapsulates the epitome of the perfect summer.

That is … until you take the scenic route to Florida with your annoying little brother and sister in the back seat. “Are we there yet?” brings on a whole new meaning, your sanity depends on arriving as soon as possible. The people who say, “it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey,” must not have younger siblings.

Waiting to get to your destination is not always fun or exciting. The minutes drag on. Seconds feel like days and days feel like months. Waiting for a text isn’t fun. Waiting to get your driver’s license isn’t fun. Waiting to graduate High School – you’ve guessed it – isn’t fun. Waiting to get married isn’t fun. Waiting to buy a home isn’t fun. The list goes on and on and on.

The question “Am I there yet,” faces every person eventually.

Is Having It All Together Overrated?

I grew up under the illusion of when I became an adult that I would have everything together. But, I don’t. Can you relate? Have you ever analyzed someone else’s life and thought, “I should be at a different place in my life ” or “I should have accomplished more by now.” Maybe you’re graduating High School this year, and you have no idea where you are going to attend College when it seems like all of your friends have their futures mapped out. Maybe you are in College, and some of your friends are married, own a new home and expecting their first child, and you think to yourself, “All I own are books and the furniture I bought at Goodwill.” Questions like, “Did I choose the wrong path?” haunt you at night.

It is okay if your dreams, your goals, and your ministry are different from everyone else because we serve a God who is infinitely original, and you have been created in His image. You are distinctly different and when you try to be someone you’re not, it’s like telling a fish to climb a tree – it’s impossible.

One of the most debilitating things you can do is compare your ministry, your career, your finances, your education and your relationship status (or whatever) with other people. On the other hand, one of the most freeing things you can do is find a place with God and allow Him to reveal your God-given purpose. God desires to take your flaws, your strengths, your weaknesses and use your journey for His glory. Take the time in prayer to discover what makes you, you.

Everything you have been through gives you exclusive characteristics that are different from other people. God needs the uniqueness of your personality to reach this world.

Am I There Yet?

When the question, “am I there yet,” dances across the corners of your mind, try not focus on how far you still have to go, but celebrate the considerable distance you’ve covered.

Words of advice? Do not judge your beginning by someone else’s middle and try not to get discouraged by the fact that it will take time to grow. Growth will always produce permanent change; an oak tree will never become an acorn again. So, try not to fixate on the, “Am I there yet,” and be encouraged that you are a stronger and more capable person today because of things you learned yesterday.