Think on These Things ~ Are We There Yet?

When I was growing up, my family often took long trips in August when my dad

was able to get away from the farm before the harvest season began. For a family of seven,

 taking five small children on a vacation must have been quite an endeavor. 

My memory may be a little faulty since I was quite young when we first travelled,

 but I do remember that we always camped.  We'd leave Iowa and travel to other states,

which seemed like a whole different world to this midwest girl.

I remember that we first went by car; mini vans didn't exist and so that meant

that 4 kids sat in the back seat and 1 kid sat up front between our parents.

We didn't have video games or dvds to watch, and there was no air conditioning in our car.

Can you imagine?

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We had our sibling spats, of course. We'd get cranky and hot.
"He's touching me!" and I don't have any room!" were probably certainly common complaints.
But the one statement we most likey said, over and over and over was,

"Are we there yet?"

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After we married, Lauren and I eventually moved here to Montana,
and many times we drove with the girls back to the midwest to see family.
It is 12 hours to northwest Iowa where Lauren's family lives,
and another 6 to 8 hours to eastern Iowa, where I was from.
Needless to say, I am positive that the girls said frequently,

Are we there yet?


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 The road to "There" must seem very long at times.

We are on a journey of a different type as we travel through life.
Sometimes we have smooth roads and other times we hit those proverbial bumps in the road.
I, for one, wonder at times if I am making a difference in this life and
I wonder if I am living my life as God created me to live it.


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I want to "be there",
to be at that place I am supposed to be,
following Him to my fullest potential,
sharing the joy of knowing Christ with others,
and being faithful to do the work He has given me to do.
I want to see the Welcome sign, the one that says
"You've Made It!"

When I first came to Christ, He gave me this verse,
and I have held on to it as a promise...

When the journey seems hard and pointless,
when I don't think I am going to make it to the Welcome sign
having served him faithfully,
this verse reminds me that

 it isn't my doing,
it is His.

 He
who began a good work in you,
(from the day you were born,
just like little Eli in my picture)
will carry it to completion...

He is doing this work in me,
and He will complete it just in time.
I am not there yet, none of us are,
but we are promised that we may be
confident
that He will do this and all that He has promised.

Some day, we will finally be there!

...being confident of this that

He who began a good work in you

will carry it on to completion until

the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

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Think on These Things