Are we there yet?

Any parent who has ever taken small children anywhere farther than the end of the driveway knows this question well. Children, however, aren’t the only ones with a low tolerance for waiting. My husband and I recently boarded a small plane in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, excited about reuniting with our children after a fruitful mission. When the pilot announced a 30-minute delay, we were cautiously optimistic. When we deplaned, I experienced that sinking feeling of dismay as thirty minutes turned into three hours which turned into two days of waiting for the next flight out of the country.

The human condition is hardwired for arrival, for reaching a desired destination. When our hearts are set on a promise, interruptions and delays can trigger disappointment and discouragement; sometimes even despair. These intense feelings and desires remind us that we are made for heaven as C. S. Lewis says,

“Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists.”

In seasons when our desired destination feels completely out of reach, the Holy Spirit reminds us that there is goodness to be found even here: “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (Lam 3:25-26).

It is good because the One for Whom we wait is good.

It is good because the destination He has for us is good.

It is good because the work He is completing in us is good.

. . .

Truth from Scripture:

And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6

. . .

Wisdom from the Saints:

“Our goal must be infinite, not the finite. The infinite is our homeland. Heaven has been waiting for us forever!”

// St. Carlo Acutis