Are we there yet?

You hear it from the backseat on a long road trip: "Are we there yet?"

My heart sometimes asks that same dividing question as I reflect about the miracle of Easter morning. The news of death always makes me drift off to my Heavenly and eternal destination.

"Am I there yet?" There are some days where my heart longs for it, mostly in those trouble-filled days.

Do you ever dream of Heaven? Do you gaze upon the beauty of the empty cross and wonder when you will pass into glory?

On those type of days, my foot edges towards the grave when God gently nudges my fragility in this is life. Last week, a sweet sister told me one of her dear family members had arrived at his final resting place. The pain of his passing has left empty places on the inside. Honestly, are we ever really ready to leave this earth?

Let Hope rise your empty faith when it nudges against death. Hope is the only thing that comforts us in our losses and in the suddenness of death. If one arrives in Heaven before us then, they won the race to the feet of Jesus.

Arrival of death reminds me that Jesus has won.

Easter morning shouts that Jesus wins over death. Jesus is hope, and His Hope bumps around in our echoing hearts to bring us comfort and peace. It dries our tears when He reminds us that we will see our dear ones again. So when death steals suddenly, or leaves you with an emptiness that only Jesus can fill, remember the only Hope that heals.

Jesus has won. Jesus welcomes new arrivals. Heaven waits for those who long to arrive.

Upon arrival into our eternal Hope, there are no more...
...tears
...struggles
...surgeries
...problems
...unrest
...hurts
...pains
...rejection
...abuse

So, are we there yet? Not quite...

We try to find heaven on earth. We want to get to our happy places, where all of our problems melt away. But there’s no such thing. There is only the next step God has for us.

That dream job.
That hard relationship.
That difficult move across country.
That hard to love spouse.
The death of a child.
Life for today with all your problems.

The next steps. They’re not the be-all-end-all you want them to be. I’ll confess, this journey sometimes makes me whine like the little kid in the back seat on the road trip. Sometimes I just want to bail out of the stinkin’ car already.

Lean back into your seat for a moment. Roll down the window. Feel the wind of Hope in your hair and the Son on your face. And if you dare, take your eyes off of your problems, your worries, your doubts, your loss that makes your heart ache, and look Heavenward.

Look at Hope.

You’ll get there one day, my friend, if you have accepted Jesus as your welcoming Host. Maybe not today. Or tomorrow. But eventually you will arrive.

And in the meantime, there’s so much in store for you along the way. Don't miss the journey of Hope that Jesus has for you today.