ARE WE THERE YET?

I had a great weekend in Southern California ! I attended the Regional Teen Convention. I saw my goddaughter Hannah; she is so beautiful, listened to Eld. Shawn Tyson Friday night, (he is one of the best preachers of our generation), spoke on Saturday at the conference and Sunday at Emmanuel Temple in Lynwood . (What’s up Nisan?) The culmination of my weekend was the Worship and Arts Ministry Concert back home at Covenant Worship Center , which was nothing short of amazing!

After an eventful weekend, I took a moment this evening to check in with myself to discover how I am feeling, and to take a moment to discover where I am mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Like a car that needs proper maintenance in order to reach its optimal performance, we must take time to pull into the garage of our secret place, turn off the engine of life that is constantly running in our mind, and open the hood of our heart to discover where we are.

Bro. and Sis. Windom (they have a beautiful family who we have known for years. Their daughters used to watch me when I was younger, and now have families of their own) came to hear me speak and we went to an amazing Thai Restaurant after church. While eating dinner we began to reflect on the time when our families visited Yosemite . I remember having fun, but I also remember asking the all too familiar question, “Are we there yet?” I so anxiously desired to arrive at the destination, that I didn’t appreciate the journey. Now years later, I reflect and long for the journey that I took for granted as a child.

This same pattern manifests itself in my life. I am aspiring for my Masters Degree, but I am so frustrated with how long it is taking. I don’t know how my life will evolve naturally and spiritually, and this uncertainty plagues me. I keep asking God, “Are we there yet?” When I discover issues inside of me that I desire to work on such as impatience, my attitude, my responses to situations, I rarely celebrate improvements and I beat myself up over relapses, and fail to recognize that all of this is a part of the journey.

What is there? Was Noah there when he built the ark or when he came out of the ark after the flood? Was Joseph there when he was in the pit or the palace? Was Job there when he was living righteous before the trial came, when the trial was present, or after the trial when he received double? Was Jesus there when he was on Calvary or when he got up from the grave and declared that all power is given unto me? What if I am there right now and I don’t know it? The answer is everywhere is there. If you remove any of these events you tamper with the process of these bible characters, and if you tamper with the process you can affect the product.

You are there. Wherever the presence of God is, is there. Don’t overlook or devalue, but rather enjoy your process, KJV Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ