Yet? (08/08/2026)

It’s August, and I couldn’t stop myself from remembering August family trips. You remember them, hitting the road before summer ended to visit someplace special or someone special. And the question that started shortly after we hit the road was always, “Are we there yet?”

I love the word “yet” because in my world it has always indicated hope. Something good is coming. As I got older, I learned that yet didn’t just happen on road trips, it happened in my life when I realized I wanted to get good at something, but I wasn’t “yet.” I learned that practice can bring what is desired sooner. And then when I decided in my 40s to learn the languages of the bible, Greek and Hebrew, so I could read the texts as they were originally written, I had to admit often to others that I didn’t know how “yet,” but hopefully that would change.

As I sat on my porch this morning, I recognized that I was far from the saint the LORD calls me to be. I admit it, but I also confide in the LORD that I have hope. I’m not that saint “yet,” but with His continued love and grace, I hope I get closer every day. Put another way, I know I’m not a done muffin “yet,” but I’m still cooking in the fire of the Holy Spirit’s grace and love.

Hope is so essential on our journeys in this life in this world. There’s a reason we love the song “Tomorrow” from the musical Annie. Our souls know that this is not all there is. Our souls naturally hope for what is coming next. And we who call ourselves Christ’s and refer to ourselves as His, Christians, we know to our core that our longed for tomorrow is meant to be with Him. And so we make our way hopefully along His Way because we know He is the Truth and there is no Life without Him.

Hope is possible because we know Him, Jesus Christ, to be trustworthy. He didn’t command us to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses, and follow Him for vanity’s sake but rather for our sake. And as we do, we are filled with hope. And as we live, we know we aren’t there “yet,” but with His love, the Spirit’s help, and our willingness to follow, there is hope.

As we continue our journeys of faith, let hope reign in our hearts as we seek to love well both our LORD and one another. Let us be willing to put in the work this side of the sod to grow closer to the ones the Father created us to be and the Son calls us to be. Let us open ourselves to the gifts and grace of the Spirit knowing He is our helper. Let us practice our faith, let us display our hope, let us spend our love.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.