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Are we THERE yet?

                                   Are we THERE yet?


I have three children and we have gone on countless car rides,  it never seems to fail that at some point one of them will ask “Are we there yet?”  I have even said it to my mom while she is driving.  Well, really if she is driving I am more praying “God just please let me get there in one peace. (My mom has made it her mission to get people saved, one ride at a time. Get in a car with her once and you will find Jesus)

What is THERE?  

When I turned eighteen I drove by myself from rural Ohio to  big city Atlanta. (I don’t know what my parents were thinking)  I got arrested with in my first two weeks (another blog sometime) broke up with my highschool sweetheart, dealt with my brother getting  kicked out of college, started dating a jerk (I can say that it's my blog) and made decisions based on this list that I thought I needed to do. It’s not a shock that in the span of four months my life went from exciting to exhausting.    I was obsessed with this list of things: Find a man who loved me, get married, get a career, figure out what I am going to do with my life, do my best to not be a screw up. Somehow get emotionally healthy and be a great mom, and wife.    There was all this pressure I had placed on myself for me to bet "there", do it quickly and quite honestly it almost killed me.  My mind went to a very self destructive place when my THERE wasn’t fulfilled in the way that I thought it needed to be. The hardest phone call of my life was telling my mom I needed help, that I wasn’t ok and I didn’t know why.

Where is there?
My first  "Aha" moment:  I was driving in my little 1989 Ford Escort, which had no radio, no air conditioning and I was following Mapquest printed directions (don't judge me) I heard a voice say "Look at that tree on the side of the road."  So I looked over "okay"  I was listening.  "Is that tree on your map?"   
"No"  I replied.
"Are you upset that it's not on your map?"  I heard the voice say.  
"No, it doesn't matter."  I said.  
"So why are so focused on the things that in ten years it won't matter. Get your eyes off the trees and follow my directions, I will take you where you need to go."  

I was so consumed with getting THERE that I didn't understand, the journey was what would prepare me for my THERE.  My directions were the most important thing that I needed to get where I was going, not the scenery outside my car window.   I quit looking outside myself and started focusing on the things that were within my control.  I got a job, learned how to budget, started applying myself to my school work and just focused on me and God. My THERE was where God was.
Why THERE?
 
At my college I was talking to the security guard as I did from time to time,  and he looked at me and asked me the craziest question.  "Why do you even want to get married." His question stumped me, and I had no answer other than "That's what I am supposed to do."  He gave me the greatest advice that changed my perspective.  He told me "Cassie when you can come to the place where you can tell God "Lord if it's just me and you for the rest of my life and you never give me a husband, children,or anything that I want, that's okay."  I can tell you in that moment I wasn't able to pray that prayer but I had my why THERE.  It wasn’t a destination but an amazingly secure perspective.  

Whatever it is you are frustrated about, whatever it is you are searching for I want you to place it in the confines of this prayer.  

God if I never get ____________ and it's just me and you for the rest of my life that is okay and I will be joyful with that.  

Some of you have anxiety just thinking of that. But as we look into our waiting the base of it has to be God being our THERE.  THERE is in His presence, spending time with him.  THERE is actually HERE.  HERE in this moment  ultimately has to be enough. If God isn’t, then trying to get THERE becomes a black hole that will suck all of your life out of you, and you will never be satisfied.  God is  the foundation and He wants to be your THERE. THERE is not a thing to be obtained, a spouse, a ministry, a child, a career and whatever else you are looking for.  THERE is being sustained by the God of the universe and being secure.  

So are you THERE yet?  

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