The whining in the back seat escalated.

            “Are we there yet?”

            “Evan hit me!”

            “I have to go to the potty.”

            Maggie took a deep breath. There were still two more hours before they’d reach their destination, and everyone’s patience was running thin. Rick, gripping the steering wheel, sent a pleading glance in her direction. The message was clear. She needed to diffuse the situation before the kids hit full-on meltdown mode.

            “Tommy, we’ll stop at the next rest area. Rick, how long?”

            “About 20 miles.”

            Maggie grimaced. Twenty miles wouldn’t take too long with highway driving, but to a four-year-old with a tiny bladder, it was a lifetime. Time to dip into her mommy toolbox. The DVD had ended, the coloring books had been discarded, and even the hand-held video games no longer held their interest. They’d had their fill of` drinks and snacks. What else did she have left? She turned toward the back seat.

            “I know you’re all tired of being in the car. Mommy and Daddy are too, but you know what? This trip is necessary for us to get to Grandma and Grandpa’s farm. When we get there, you can pet the animals, milk a cow, go swimming in the lake, and eat Grandma’s delicious cooking. I promise it will all be worth it.”

            “But why does it have to take so long?” Evan asked.

            “Because they live out in the country. We live near the city, where Daddy could get a job.”

            “But how did Grandma and Grandpa get jobs?” Tommy asked.

            Maggie smiled. “They both work on the farm, along with some other helpers.”

            “Why doesn’t Daddy work there too?” Hannah asked.

            “Because Daddy isn’t a farmer,” Maggie said. “Besides, if we lived at the farm, you wouldn’t see your friends or be able to go to your school.”

            “I don’t want to leave our house,” Tommy said.

            “We’re not going to,” Maggie said. “We’ll just be here on the farm for a week.”

            “It’s taking forever,” Hannah whined.

            “This is the longest trip ever,” Tommy said.

            Inspiration struck. “Do you remember the story in the Bible about God’s people leaving Egypt and travelling to the promised land?”

            The children nodded. “They got water out of a rock!” Evan exclaimed, showing off his memory skills.

            “That’s right. Did you know it took them 40 years to get to where they were going? That’s longer than Daddy and I have even been alive.”

            “That must have been really far away,” Hannah said.

            “They needed to spend that time travelling for God to teach them a lesson,” Maggie said. “Sometimes we need to wait for things, but the important thing to do is to think about what God may be trying to teach us during that time. Sometimes we have to go through times that aren’t so pleasant, like when God’s people had to wander around in the wilderness. But during that time, God taught them to depend on him. He taught them He would guide and protect them and meet their needs if they would only have faith in Him.”

            Maggie glanced at Rick. A slight upward curve to his lips told her he was pleased with her. The kids were quieting down. Maybe the meltdown had been averted?

            “What do you think God is trying to teach us while we wait to get to Grandma and Grandpa’s house?” Evan asked.

            Maggie stopped for a moment to consider the question. After all, wasn’t that the key to what she was trying to teach them? And if God had something to teach them, he must have something to teach her and Rick as well.

            “God wants us to appreciate what we have,” Maggie said. “He wants us to be grateful we have family to visit, that we have a car that works well, and that we’re all healthy enough to make the trip. We should be grateful Daddy has a good vacation plan at work so he’s able to take off this time and be with us. Also, we should be grateful we have family who has such a wonderful place for us to visit, and for the beautiful weather.” Her eyes traveled toward the fields along the highway. Maggie pointed out the window. “Look, deer.”

            Three heads turned in the direction of her finger, and three sets of eyes went wide. “Wow,” Hannah murmured.

            Maggie, who grew up in the country, had seen her share of animals, but in their subdivision, the only animals they ever saw were the neighbors walking their dogs. Perhaps this would be even more of an adventure than she thought. They spent the next ten minutes looking for more animals along the side of the road. Before long, Rick pulled over into a rest area.

            After bladders were emptied, they piled back into the minivan with a renewed sense of adventure. “Do you think we’ll see any more animals?” Hannah asked.

            “I hope so,” Maggie said. “Keep your eyes on the open fields. That’s where you’ll be able to spot the deer.”

            Once they turned off the highway, the car wound through farmlands. Maggie kept the children busy by pointing out the cows, horses, and goats, and teaching them what crops grew along the way. When they finally reached their destination, the kids unbuckled from their car seats and bounded to meet their grandparents.

            After hugs all around, Grandpa asked “How was the trip?”

            “It was great!” Tommy exclaimed. “We saw sheep and cows and goats, and learned all about God teaching us stuff on the journey.”

            Maggie’s sent up a prayer of thankfulness. God was good.

Isaiah 40:31 They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings like eagles. run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not grow faint.

Dear Lord, You give us seasons of life. Sometimes we may feel like we are in the wilderness, but please help us to remember You have something wonderful for us on the other side. No matter what our journeys look like, please help us to seek You. Help us live our lives for the present, not always waiting to get to the next best thing, but to learn what You have for us on the journey.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.