Today’s Weather Forecast: Rain with Hope

Before you were ever let down or set back, what did you hope for?

A speaking engagement?

A book deal?

Perhaps a spouse?

Or good health?

A reconciled relationship?

Or maybe your biggest hope no one knows about is a child?

Through the years, life bumps, bruises and rains down on our plans. We settle into a thought that this is reality and it is just not going to happen for us. Connecting our life dots, we presume we know what will happen next and {poof} our thoughts take us to what we “know” and we extinguish the hope on our heart’s desire.

The more I learn about this little word called hope, the more I find it quite fascinating and intimidating all at the same time. Because in order to have hope, you have to put down any preconceived notions you know what will happen next. For a little busy organizer like myself, I find myself almost paralyzed with anxiety not knowing what will happen next.

I know life is possible not knowing what comes next. I watch others who do not even own a planner bask completely full in joy and contentment. How do they do that? I bet you they have a lot of hope…

So I continue to be enticed to this idea of hope because there is a tangible freedom when surrendered to the One who knows me best. The Author of my life recognizes my weakness and offers His strength and reaches me past the predictability. Because on the other side are deeper desires in my heart too hidden to recognize.

You know what my friend, He wants to reach you and your dreams too.

He wants to give you what your heart really needs.

Hope can hurt to have if it takes us through a long waiting period filled with storms of devastation.  If we are brave though and still place our hope in Him, He supersedes dreams. Though life bumps, bruises and rains down on our hope, He has stayed steady to nurture our dream even if we have tried to stifle it. There is a place past the hurt when you surrender your dream and move past the present situation where you enter His presence relinquished to our capabilities and empowered by His. It’s bold place to be, the rain becomes like a rain shower to an arid area of crops. Thirsty for more; roots dig deeper and the plant grows taller, life living fuller and dreams growing bigger.

Allow your rain storm to awaken your hope. Let Him soak deep into your heart saturating your dreams. Wring out the doubt and dance in the rain with abandonment. Let each drop be reminders of how much He has loved you, comforted you, forgiven, encouraged, directed, revealed to you in His goodness and mercy. If He is for us this much and has planted our desires in our heart, than what can come against us?

Showers are good for the crops and they are good for our souls. The rainbow after the rain is remarkable and my friend I assure you, your dream is more magnificent after it is weathered through hope.

Joshua 1:5

No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.