When are We Gonna Get There?

I think every single child, from the dawn of family road trips, has whined out the words, “When are we gonna get there?” Likewise, every single parent has desperately wished they could respond triumphantly, “We’re here!”

I was an extremely impatient child, so I asked that question every thirty minutes from the moment our car left the house. My mother’s usual response was a very weary “We’ll get there when we get there.” I hated that answer. It gave me no foreknowledge at all. That meant I couldn’t figure everything out right away, and it also meant I might be in the car for the rest of my life. So, on one trip, my uncle was driving my two sisters and me to New York from Washington, D.C. As expected, I asked him that question, and his response was, “Oh, we’re already here; this is just a very long driveway!”Hmmmmm…

When I was a ballet student, all I thought about was when I was going get there. At every stage of my life, I have impatiently wondered, “When am I going to get there…am I ever going to get there?” Whether it was becoming a professional dancer, starting a family, owning and running a ballet studio, having a ballet company, writing books…all of it. I am still constantly wondering when I’m going to get there.

So, now I have to ask myself: Am I really wondering when I’m going to get there, or am I actually wondering where “there” is?

 Are we meant to arrive and completely retire in our lives? A very good friend of mine told me that we don’t retire; we refire. I love that. Our purposes and passions just branch off. I think we’re actually meant to be on a very long driveway for as long as we live. A driveway leads to a final destination. It can become cluttered with leaves, fallen branches, bumps, cracks, brambles, but they don’t change the final destination; they’re just the things we experience as we approach. We may be coming from different roads, but we always need to end up in the driveway before we actually arrive home. When I’ve had a really hard day and pull into my own driveway, I think to myself, “There it is; I’m home!” I know I belong there, and I can relax. Having the vision of my home allows me to pull all the way into the garage with confidence.

My car once ran out of gas two blocks before I reached my house (true story). Although my husband was not happy, he didn’t leave me there. He pushed the car while I steered, and we coasted up to the door. God will not lead me up to the wrong house or where I don’t belong, and He won’t leave me just short of where I need to be. If I run out of fuel, He will be the push I need, and He even gives me the freedom to steer. I do need to practice wisdom and watch out for the warning lights when my tank is getting low, but there is a driveway that leads to the front door of my home.

When the road we’re on seems endless and fogged in, we must remember that it’s still leading to where we belong. That may sound too simple, or naïve, or too optimistic, but it’s the truth. Creating something complex out of the simple truth can only be self-destructive, and will get us completely off the path where we are meant to be.

So, when are we gonna get there? Keep checking your fuel tank, follow your signs, and you will eventually see the vision where the driveway is leading. You’ll get there when you get there, you will continue your purpose, and you will know you are finally home.

Dance on.