Already / Not Yet

Erin is having contractions already (for about a week now) but the baby is still not here yet. We have the car seat in the car already, but nothing to put in it yet. We have our bags packed to go to the hospital at a moments notice, but no reason to go yet. In this strange period of anticipation and anxiousness I am reminded of the same struggle that exists throughout Scripture and in our spiritual lives as well. If you have ever done much research or just spent a decent amount of time in the Word, you know what I am talking about. We are already reborn, but not yet complete in the process. We have been transformed in our mind, heart, and spirit, but not yet physically nor completely in our mind. We are already coheirs with Christ, but we have not yet received our inheritance, have we? This struggle that exists between the "already" and the "not yet" is where Paul spent most of his time writing...see: Romans 6:4-5; 8:18-19, 23-25; 1 Cor. 13:9-12; 2 Cor. 5:16-21; Galatians 3:26-4:7; Ephesians 2:3-7; 3:19-22; Philippians 3:10-14; etc. The list could go on, but I think you get the point :). If you notice, I went in order of the books Paul wrote (at least the order they are in in the Bible), and he talks about this struggle in every book...multiple times! The reality is, the entirety of our lives is lived between the Already and the Not Yet. We have been entered into the story during the 2nd act of what we know is at least a 3 act play (thanks to John Eldredge for this analogy). In simpler terms, our live can be summed up by the simple " / " that separates the Already / Not Yet...kind of like the dash between dates on a tombstone (April 13, 1983 - September 3, 2000). I know it is a very humbling and almost depressing thought to think that our lives can be summed up so simply, but then again - we are not the main characters of the story. Our role, in both the Already and the Not Yet, is to get as close to the main character as possible. This uncomfortable tension is heightened by the knowledge that we canNot Yet do this perfectly. I find myself often waiting impatiently for the Not Yet rather than savoring the Already or the " / ", and the funny part about waiting impatiently is that it makes everything seem to take longer. For example, the last week of waiting for little guy to show up has felt like a month of my "normal life." We have ALREADY made all the preparations, washed all the new clothes, cleaned the car, and even put new batteries in the camera! And while this should make me feel more prepared and comforted, it only makes me aware of how little preparation I have been putting toward the real NOT YET. I am not appreciating the Already, enjoying the / or yearning for the Not Yet...how are you doing?