We drove to Utah this last week. Two toddlers, one newborn, eight hours. Yep. Fun times.

Well, the anticipation for this trip has been building for a while. It’s our annual ski/snowboard trip in the mountains. I know, I know–leave the mountains to go to the mountains? Our’s isn’t exactly the ski-resort type. It’s more the mountain man/bed and breakfast type. Point in case, no slopes.

But this is the first year our son was going to snowboard and he was thrilled as we left our little home and drove and drove and drove. And drove some more.

Out of California, through the tips of Arizona and Nevada and into Utah.

Even after this, our five-year old son kept looking up at random mountain ranges and asking, “Is that Utah?”

And we would constantly remind him, “We’re in Utah, we’ve been in it for a while.”

But he would still look up to the mountain tops, clearly confused. And we knew why. To his little mind, Utah was snow, slopes and boarding. Not this flat, red state with cliffs and bluffs.

And it hit me that so many times in our lives, we ask God the same question. When are we going to get there? When is my luck finally going to pan out? Surely, this can’t be as good as it’s going to get.

I know I’ve had those moments in my life. And what a waste. It’s a waste because one day, we could turn around, find ourselves 90 and completely alone, just wishing the grand kids would come for a visit or that our loved ones would send us a card. I hope that in my old age, I will be able to look back and be grateful I counted the little moments–the moments that really mattered. Because, before we ask “When does it get good,” perhaps stop and think that today is a day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

If we just live for those Academy Award moments like, a larger home, job promotions or book contracts, we could waste a lot of time realizing that we’re already there. God has already blessed us abundantly if we would just look around and see it. 

So how about you? What are you thankful for this very day?