Are we there yet?
Why is that question so frustrating to parents? Is it the frequency that it is asked? Is it that you seemed to have answered it 3 minutes ago? Do they really forget that they have already asked that same question 14 times? Or, do they forget the answer because they weren't listening? (I'm not going to go there)
We were on the road for an hour long trip to the cousin's house in League City when that very question became the most asked question of the trip. As we merged onto I-45 in Spring a voice in the back of the mini-van asked, "how long is it going to be?" Then, at the Beltway, "how much longer?" Then at loop 610, "are we there yet?" Once again, as we started pointing out the "cool" skyline of downtown, "is this going to be a long trip?" Thankfully, I couldn't get my hands on anyone and stopping the car at this point would only prolong the misery but I wanted to say, "don't make me stop this car." Finally, we (Kendra and I) made everyone agree not to ask that question anymore so I wouldn't cause any bodily harm.
In the quietness that followed (for about 5 minutes) I thought about the question. I know that a child's attention span is quite short and that they don't comprehend time the way adults do. Even with the technology of in-the-vehicle video they can get bored so that the time it takes on the way is miserable because there is such excitement for the end of the journey. It then struck me, "does God ever wonder why I ask the same questions, especially those about time and timing?" And, "is my attention span so spiritually short that I forget who is in control?" Also, selfishly, "What about when I want to be there and I'm not?"
God and time are two interesting thoughts. God is so personal and yet not bound by time. Time is an impersonal measure of an action or condition. However, God has and does work in time for his children and their future. In Jesus God stepped into time to change eternity. So, God has it worked out, which we don't always see, in a way that reminds us that He is omniscient and that we/I can trust Him with our life-time.
What if we "cause" our kids to ask that and other insane questions by our own lack of understanding of God-time. Hmmm. The silence was broken by, "I hope we get there soon" and I smiled as I thought about when we will get there and, I believe it will be soon.