“Are we there yet?” is a phrase muttered multiple times by a child on a road trip. As they impatiently wait in the backseat, they are unaware of the destination and how beautiful it will be, instead, they are focused on where they are now and why they can’t already be where they’re expecting to go. In the backseat, when someone else is driving, it’s easy to get impatient. They want a more scenic view as they look out the window, and while some points along the way may fulfill that, some only have one route which includes the not so beautiful views. While a child in the backseat may not be sure why it takes so long, or why the journey isn’t exciting, the destination is worth the trip.
Our life is like a road trip and we are the child in the backseat. We know where we are going, but we aren’t quite sure of how great the destination will be until we get there to experience it ourselves. We’ve heard stories of how great it is, but we must embark on a road trip to get to that place to see for ourselves how wonderful it is.
As Christians, our walk with Christ is a road trip. Without Christ, we are driving the car ourselves while Jesus in the passengers seat. As we take wrong turns, go through road work, and encounter all kinds of obstacles, we realize that we’ll never make it to the destination without any help. Jesus is there in the passengers seat but He won’t force us to let him drive. Instead, He waits until us ask Him to take the wheel, and He gladly does because He’s been waiting for us to ask.
Once Jesus takes the wheel, it doesn’t mean it’ll be a smooth ride, it just means that we can trust that He knows where He is going and that He has chosen the best route to reach the destination. Like the child in the backseat, we may wonder why some points along the way are rough, or why sometimes we simply just idle. Then there’s the views that give us a glimpse of just how beautiful the destination will be, and those moments give us hope that the long road is worth it.
When the road trip ends, those that let Jesus take the wheel will arrive to their eternal destination. A destination far more beautiful than we could’ve ever imagined. In that moment, the journey that brought them there will prove to be worth the ride. In this road trip called life, do yourself the favor of letting Jesus take the wheel. While the entire ride may not be pleasant, we can trust that the driver will get us where we need to be. Someday, instead of asking “are we there yet?,” we’ll say “thank you, Jesus, for taking the wheel.”
