Are We There Yet?

“Are we there yet?” cries out the little voice from the back seat. That little voice, with no sense of time nor distance, will cry out often the same four words. Often! Why? They have no frame of reference that denotes how far or long it will take to arrive.

Think about it like this. From Houston to Anchorage it’s an agonizing eight hours cramped in a cigar tube flying at nearly 40,000 feet above the earth. All the while, you suffer from recycled air, and food is not fit, sitting cramped in an unnatural position. Then, spend the bulk of a day traveling to, waiting for, getting on, waiting until, and finally exiting at our destination.

Eight long hours!

Or, you could drive it. Go through multiple cities, cross county, state, and country lines. Purchase food, fuel, and a nights stay a multiple of times. How long will it take? Only 96 hours of drive time! Split it up any ol’ way you want. That’s four full days of travel.

I know it only too well. From that first time mom and I drove it in 1977, until that last time my bride and I drove out of Alaska when relocating only half-way to Washington state.

This morning I’ve been thinking about the speed at which we will recover and return to some form of “normal” that some call “new”… Are we there yet?

Are we there yet?

The investigative spacecraft, Voyager, left our Solar System and headed into the Galaxy body. The closest galaxy to ours, the Canis Major Dwarf, at Voyager speed, is approximately 749,000,000 (million) years away. Traveling at the speed of light, it would take 25,000 years!

Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, is bigger than we previously thought. A new study shows it would take 200,000 years for a spaceship traveling at the speed of light to go across the entire galaxy.

How long does it take to get to the end of the universe? From where we are, the end of the known universe: 225,000,000,000,000 years (that’s 225 trillion) away.

Yet, we stress over small backyard distances when, in perspective, we barely comprehend the distance of our known universe?

This is a problem for all of us. We think in terms of distance and time differently. We are finite creatures with a limited perspective, and we barely comprehend the end of the universe.

Then, an inquiring mind asks, what’s next to our universe? We have no clue. We will never get there!

Here’s My Thought Today

Because we are short-lived creatures, and because we do not see the ending of a day very easily, we struggle with understanding how close God is to us. We often think of him as far, far away, as in a galaxy so distant we could never reach him, nor him hear us.

When we start thinking like this, we fail to realize exactly how close he is.

We hear Jesus in the garden, praying, “Abba, Father! All things are possible. Take this cup from me! Nevertheless. Now what I will. But thou.” (Mark 14:36)

We do not hear an answer from God. But the resolution was clear in his voice. Not my will, but yours. He prays three times and the answer is seemingly the same feeling of a reply. It’s like Jesus gets confirmation without a booming voice of God declaring his will!

It’s only in this Gospel account that we see the word “Abba”. A Greek word indicating that the speaker of the term is endowed with, or possessed by the occupier of the word. For Jesus to say Abba simply means he is endowed with and possessed by the spirit and idea of God. Totally. It’s almost as if he knows the answer before he asks, and no booming voice is required.

But, to reach God, all we have to do is cry, “Abba, Father!” Abba says you are endowed with the spirit and idea of God. Father says, you need the sustenance he provides.

With these words, we declare our complete trust and dependence on him!

Yet…

Still. We wonder. When we cry out, how quickly does God show up? What is the answer to my dilemma?

The truth of it? He never left us! The answer is here. Now.

Think about that favored old movie of decades ago. “E.T.” As the creature is about to fly away to space with his family and ship intact, the young boy who has cared for him since meeting him in his back yard, has tears running down his face. ET says, “I’ll be right here.” and with his finger touches the boy on his head.

It’s the magic of Hollywood! We understand that in the mind of the little boy, ET will be there as soon as he thinks about him.

Think about it! It’s a repeat of an age old scripture after Jesus gives his Great Commission.

…I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
(Matthew 28:20 KJV)

We let Hollywood grip our hearts and imagination. They have learned to do it so well. Yet, we forget the very instruction from the one who said, “I’ll never leave you, nor forsake you….” (Hebrews 13:5) Our Savior.

Why is scripture less impactful? Perhaps it’s simply because we’ve not claimed our position, nor declared his position.

The Psalmist, who is in the lineage of Jesus, states it like this.

The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him,
to all that call upon him in truth.
He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him:
he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
(Psalms 145:18-19 KJV)

Jesus…

There are words of the song that comes to mind… He’s as close as the mention of his name… Jesus. Jesus.

If I could only put it into my own words and thought, it may go something like this.

Whisper his name in the darkness of a trial,
when the weight of the world has pressed you down.
When fear, worry, strife, and even anger
rattles your sheltered calm.
Let that name be your first resource.
When you don’t know what to do,
or where to go,
cry it out loud, shout it with frustration,
or even from that inside voice.
Realize this, you do not have far to go.
He’s there. Right now.
He’s always been there.
As close.
As the Mention.
Of his name.

Instead of being impatient as a child, crying out “Are we there yet?” Simply declare, “Jesus!”