I don’t know why, but, lately I have been feeling the need to rush. I’m feeling pressured and uncomfortable on all sides. All tell-tale signs that the Lord is about to do something. Every promotion I’ve ever had to the next level spiritually has always come through pressurized circumstances or situations. I’m struggling to not want to race ahead and try to make something, anything happen on my own.

Yet, I keep getting this inkling from the Lord to be patient just a bit longer and trust in His timing. But I don’t have to worry because when I forget, He reminds me. And I was given a  couple of real-life reminders recently.

A couple of days ago, I was running late to a meeting. It was my first time meeting with this organization, so it was important to me that I arrived on time. And as luck would have it, my gas light was on in my car. I would have to stop for gas on my way. I swiped my card as soon as I pulled up to the pump at the gas station. I stood there for what seemed like an eternity watching the screen beep at me, “Please Wait, Authorizing.” When I felt that I couldn’t wait any longer, I went in to the attend, who informed me that the transaction had just gone through at the pump and that I needed to go back to complete my purchase.  I went to the pump. Sure enough, the screen was asking me for input. When I entered the needed information, the screen came back, “Please See Attendant.” Back I went to the attendant, who was quite confused to see me again so quickly. It had taken me two back-and-forth trips before I could finally start fuelling my car.

At the end of last week, I had my other experience with patience and timing. I ordered an item online at 35% off a couple weeks before and had the item shipped to the store. Due to an unexpected glitch, I never received an email when my item arrived to the store. I was surprised that my item hadn’t come in yet, so I went to the store. The store attendant couldn’t find my item or any record of my purchase, and I had left the printout of my receipt at home. I was told to call the store as soon as I had the order information and they would see what they could do to help me. When I called the store with my order number, I was informed that because I hadn’t picked the item up on time, the sale had been cancelled. But, the person I spoke to was willing to check and see if it was still in the store. Luckily, this attendant was able to find my order; she placed it on hold for me to come back and purchase. When I went back to the store, my item had been placed in the clearance area, and I ended up purchasing it at 70% off. What an incredible surprise ending!

It is interesting to note that both experiences involved delays and a need for patience. But there were slight differences. At the gas station, it was my impatience that caused an unnecessary delay. With the online purchase, through no fault of my own, there was an unexpected delay that yielded an equally unexpected blessing. The Lord is going to do things in my life according to  his own timing. I need to be patient and expect that at some point, there will be a blessing as a result of my patience.

My son plays basketball. Recently, his coach formed an alliance with a nearby junior college. The boys get to practice at the fancy college gym on a court near the college players once a week for the next couple of months.

In addition, the coach has hinted that there are some surprise perks lined up for the boys, through this new college connection, in the coming months. He has mentioned that if the boys embrace and foster this new relationship with the college, it is going to pay off in unseen dividends. You can tell that the coach has been doing a lot of work behind-the-scenes. He has an excitement about the future plans for the team and things that are going to unfold this summer; he is just not able to share that information yet.

Last night, the boys and their parents were all invited to attend a home game for the men’s basketball team at the junior college. The coach asked that we come and show our support for the college team. He mentioned that the support we give to the college team will be given back to our boys ten-fold this summer.

Our family went to the game to show our support. Our son was able to spend most of the game on the court, next to the team. He said the players were happy that he and his three other teammates were there. They visited with them and answered questions the boys had about basketball at the collegiate level and beyond. He said the players wanted to know the next time the boys would be practicing in the college gym, so they could see them again. And just when he thought the night couldn’t get any better, the team they came to support won the game and invited all the boys to join them in the locker room for a victory celebration.

As we walked to our car after the game, I couldn’t help but see parallels to things the Lord has been doing in my life, and those of many believers I know. Recently, the Lord has been subtly whispering a message of renewal which has been causing a renewed hope to start rising up in me. He has been asking me to continue to be patient and hold on just a bit longer because good things are coming in the near future. I got the feeling that just like my son’s coach, God is bursting with excitement about the blessings He is about to give His people. I could also sense Him saying that He is working behind-the-scenes now but if we had any idea what is coming, we would be just as excited as Him.

So, with hopeful anticipation, I look forward to what emerges from behind-the-scenes…

Over the last few weeks, the Lord has been inviting me to return to a place of peace, joy, and hope in Him. I had allowed these things to fall to the wayside lately, and it was wreaking havoc on me. Hope has been the most recurring theme the Lord keeps focusing on with me.

And just what does it mean to hope? Hope is a faith-filled belief and desire, regardlesss of circumstances, for a good future. It is also the expectation of good things happening in your life. Other words used to describe hope include: optimism, confidence, and trust.

I was in the middle of pondering these very things when my husband returned home from running an errand for me. As soon as he placed the shopping bag on the counter next to me, I let out a little laugh. In the center of the bag was a rainbow colored heart with the slogan: “Embrace Hope.”

With the start of this particular New Year, the Lord is trying to say it’s time to dream again. It’s time to believe that all things are possible. It’s time to forget the former things and, once again, look to the future with hope.