FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Fierce Pursuit”

Our family recently took a trip to visit grandparents in Iowa.  We were about fifteen minutes into the three and a half hour ride when I heard the most dreaded words in travel-dom: “Are we there yet?”

What is it about those words that makes a parent’s shoulders scrunch up?  They have a tendency to bring out the worst in us.  My brain was racing with sarcasm.  “Seriously? We just got on the interstate!  Does it look like we’re there yet?”  And in my best Mr. Incredible voice, “We’ll get there when we get there!”  Of course, I didn’t actually say any of that.  I managed a small sigh, followed by, “Nope, we’ve still got a ways to go.”

I guess part of what makes those words so painful is that we understand what’s really behind the question.  Your child isn’t sincerely asking if you’ve reached your destination.  He’s communicating that he’s ready to be done.  He’s feeling stuck in the car, a little stir crazy and is ready for the whole process to be over.  It’s understandable, but a little overwhelming when you still have hours left to travel.

A few years ago I took my kids on a trip to western Nebraska.  Between the 2-day travel time and the absolute absence of any interesting scenery along the route, I was expecting an agonizing trip filled with “Are we there yet’s.”  To circumvent that, I tried to make the trip as fun and purposeful as I could with lots of games and inexpensive toys to introduce periodically.  I also strung a ribbon across the backseat with a paper minivan clipped to it.  I moved the van along the ribbon as we moved along our trip.  They could literally see how far we had left to travel and that cursed four-word question was almost non-existent.

What’s something your family does to make long trips more enjoyable?  What’s your favorite car trip memory?

At times, our journey with God can feel like a long car trip.  There are fun, even life-changing stops as we go along, but there are also long stretches of sameness.  Yes, we’re growing.  Yes, we’re going places.  Yet, the journey still has difficulties.  It’s still uncomfortable at times.  It still stretches us, and we sometimes get that same “stuck in the car” feeling.

Have you ever wanted to ask God, “Are we there yet?”  Am I finally done growing?  Have I reached maturity?   Are we done with all the conviction and stepping out of my comfort zone?  How much longer until its easy?  I keep pursuing Jesus and holiness and others.  How much longer until I finally get what I’m pursuing?  We want all of those things, but as the children of God, we can get as antsy as our own children do.  I’m thankful the Father doesn’t snap back with a booming, “You’ll get there when you get there!”

Instead, God offers comfort and direction through the apostle Peter.  In his first letter, he finishes the fourth chapter with this verse: “So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep on doing it.” (Msg)  

Hmmm.  Probably not the kind of response you were looking for.  Maybe you were hoping God would say, “Almost.”  Maybe you had your fingers crossed that the destination was just around the corner.  But that’s not the way it is.  Our journey with God is amazing!  It’s full of adventure and transformation.  No other life experience can make you a new person like Jesus can.  But it’s also a trek filled with challenges.  So be ready.  Be prepared to never stop pursuing holiness, to never stop suffering for the sake of Jesus, to never stop seeking people who don’t know Him yet.  The truth is we will get there when we get there…and not a second sooner.  So let’s make the journey as fun as we can along the way and agree to never stop.

What can your family do to make the journey fun?  After all, fun is relevant!  How can you encourage each other to never stop pursuing Jesus, to never stop pursuing others?  As you pray together, ask God to help you be a “never stop” family.