Waiting is rarely easy, at any age or time. With more and more gray hairs, I find that the only difference between my days as a child whining in the backseat of the car, “Are we there yet?” and now is the ability to take a deep breath and leave the question unasked.
I always knew it was a rhetorical question. By the fact that I was asking, I was telling myself that we had not arrived. I look back and realize that my impatience did not help my dad drive faster or improve the immediate conversation and interactions. It was a demanding statement of self-interest.
I have also come to appreciate the uncertainty and question that the emotions behind the question represent. First, I am expressing my fear that we will never arrive. Even if I know the tank is full, the road straight, and there are no roadblocks, I still worry. Maybe I missed something. Perhaps there is something that someone has not considered. Whatever the unknown, it could make the destination unreachable.
Secondly, I am questioning the value of the goal. Is it worth the sacrifice? Do we really want to continue trying to reach a destination that may not deliver the promise that we anticipate? What if the goal is simply a mirage? What is the point of pressing on?
It is not always comforting to realize how repetitive the question is. Centuries ago the question was being raised; “I’m finding my way down the road of right living, but how long before you show up? I’m doing the very best I can, and I’m doing it at home, where it counts.” (Psalm 101.2) the uncertainties then and now linger.
To myself and anyone listening, I would encourage faith and truth. We will get to where we need to get to. We are already a lot closer to the destination than we realize. In the interim, there are things to do. Everything has its season.
In this moment, am I willing to be present and act? There is no “yet” in now.
