Stop the Rain: 6 steps to battling the storms of life

It was a cold and wet Sunday afternoon as I drove my friend's little girl home from church. Tahlia, 4 years old, was chatting away as usual and I was half listening to her and concentrating on the difficult driving conditions. 

As the rain grew heavier and heavier, I came to a stretch in the road where you could usually see the ocean over the dunes. Today you couldn't even see the scrubs along the roadside. Unprotected from the full force of the ocean, the car started to shake and sway in the wind. I was trying to slow down carefully, aware that now, not only could I not see the bonnet of my car but I also couldn't see the cars around me. A thick sheet of water was falling on my car and I was terrified. 

I reached my hand behind me to hold the now quiet Tahlia's hand.

"Thalia," I yelled above the deafening pelt of rain, "We are going to pray."

Thalia gripped onto my hand and I called out in a loud voice. 

"God, please stop the rain!" 

The very second the last word left my mouth, the rain stopped. 

It didn't die down and come to a stop, it just stopped. It was as if a tap was turned off. As if a kink had been made in the hose of a sprinkler. 

And suddenly there was silence. No more pelting of rain, no howling wind, just perfect silence. 

"God stopped the rain! God stopped the rain!" shouted Thalia. I couldn't talk. I drove in silent awe at the crazy thing that had just occurred. 

The rest of the 15 minute drive home not a single drop of water landed on my windshield. The grey sky held every bit of rain in its dark, ominous clouds and I didn't see a single tree bending in the breeze. 

We pulled up outside the house and I got out and helped Thalia out of her seat. We walked inside and just as we walked under the cover of the garage, the sky's opened up once more. 

"God, stop the rain! God stop the rain!" Thalia cried out at the window for the rest of the day. She was sure He would do it again. He didn't, at least not that day. For weeks after, with the slightest indicators of condensation, Thalia would cry out to ask God to stop the rain. She had witnessed a miracle and she wasn't going to forget it.

I was reminded of this moment in my life that happened about 10 years ago last Sunday as I was singing a song at church. 

"Though the storms may rage

They still know Your Name"

Storms

Storms are a part of life. Some people love storms. They will get excited when they hear thunder and settle down for a cozy night in. Others hate storms. They cringe at the flash of lightning and groan about their washing on the line. I don't really care one way or another about the weather except when I am inconvenienced. I don't want to get my hair wet if I go out, I don't want to wait under shelter, I don't want to have to remember an umbrella and I really don't want to have an accident on the roads. 

Every once in awhile there is a massive storm that comes in and tears the place apart. The great storm of 2010 in Perth is one of those occasions. If you lived in Perth then, you can tell me exactly where you were when it hit, what damage it caused to your property and the inconvenience it caused to you and your family. That storm sucked! I had $18,000 worth of damage to my almost brand new $20,000 car (how bummed was I to not get it written off so i could get a new one?).

We often refer to hard periods of time in our lives as storms. Some storms are short and quick and more of an inconvenience. Some are bigger and can be stressful at the time but all is well in the end. Others, like the great storm of 2010 are massive, cause unprecedented damage and are permanently remembered as a major moment in your life.

So what do we do when we are caught in a storm?

1. We can carry on until we get through it. 

Some storms can be ridden out. Some, we just need to buckle down, believe that it won't last forever and move on. I could have just continued to drive home, but my gut and experience told me that this wasn't a normal storm. 

2. We remember that we don't cause storms. 

It's not our fault that their is crazy weather going on. You don't have mutant superpowers. So stop looking for meaning in a storm. It's not time to play the blame game. When illness hits or we find life to be stressful we often think "why". Why is this happening? What did I do to deserve this? Guys it's weather. It happens to all of us in some shape or form. 

3. Pull over and wait it out, seek shelter. 

Sometimes you have to pull over to the side of the road and wait. Last year my job was killing me. I wasn't sleeping at night, I was constantly stressing and I began to feel anxious about everything I was responsible for in the world. So I pulled over and decided to wait it out. This meant that I stopped my side business of baking, I stopped going to things that weren't necessary and I focussed on waiting it out. (Of course I started looking for new work too, if the boat is sinking, it's time to get on a new one) 

4. Cry out for help. 

Maybe this should be first point. Here's the deal, the bible is so full of scriptures about God hushing the storms. 

“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.”Psalm‬ ‭107:28-30‬ ‭

 Our desired haven? Does that mean he cares about where we want to go? Does that mean he cares about giving us peace on our journey?  I think we think he doesn't care about us enough to stop it. We know he loves us, but it's easy to detach and think about it as a far away, broad stroke of the brush kind of love. The love that covers a multitude of sins can't be the same love that cares about the details can it? How can my cry for help be considered the same as someone who has "real" issues? I keep comparing my storm with someone else's storm and I feel like mine is dumb and little and not worth praying about. 

5. Trust that HE commands the waves and wind and have peace. 

In Matthew, Mark and Luke there is a story of Jesus on a boat in the middle of the storm. This dude is so chill that he's asleep! He has to be woken up to be asked to stop the storm. With a simple word the waves and wind settled. In the midst of it all we should remember that unless God is concerned, we shouldn't be. He's got it. We spend so much time worrying about the outcome that we waste our lives worrying about things that God is in command of. 

“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,”‭‭Nahum‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A couple of months ago at church I was very distressed. Life was hard, work was very hard. 

"God, I just don't think you care about this," I cried out to God. "You don't care where I work or what the conditions are like. You don't care who I will marry or if I will have a family. As long as I serve you, I don't think you care. Im wanting a job that I wake up for in the morning happy to get out of bed for. I'm wanting to meet someone who lights a spark in me but I think you are pushing me to settle for mediocrity, just get what I get. You don't care about the details. You just don't care." This wasn't the first time I had said this silently to myself, possibly not the first time I had said it to God either. 

In the loudness of the music playing through the speakers, I heard a voice inside. Through the noise of the storm that raged within, a voice cried out. 

"I care the most, I care the most!" My God was yelling through the midst of the storm. "I care the most"

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭55:22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

6. Have faith in the restorer to fix what has been damaged

I felt prompted to write a list on my phone of what i needed out of a new job. The list was simple: 

• More flexibility in my conditions 
• Work that worked around my lifestyle (remember that I had given up a lot of life for my previous job) 
• Bosses that cared
• No uniform 
• Same pay and perks from my previous job

Every single thing on my list was met. God demonstrated that He cared. That He cared about the details. That He cared the most. 

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

SO I guess what I'm trying to say is this: 

Storms they are coming whether we want them to or not. Batten down the hatches and hold on. But when it get's tough, remember that you know the one who commands the waves and wind. He cares about you and what you are going through. He cares the most. 

5 reasons being single shouldn't be like backpacking through Europe.

Why being single can be like backpacking through Europe

"You know some singles live their life like they are backpacking through Europe," my housemate said to me last night. 

"Well that sounds like a fun way to live" I replied. 

"No!" She exclaimed, "it's a terrible way to live, you want to backpack for 6 months, not 10 years " 

She has a valid point. 

So firstly, how is backpacking through Europe anything like being single? It's simple really, many single people live as if they are in a state of "in-between" I touched briefly on this phenomenon in a previous blog That's it I'm done waiting. 

Some single people live as if they are in a holding pattern on their life. They grow up (sort of), they move out (seriously, you need to move out) and then they wait. They don't put down roots or make long term goals because they are factoring in the great unknown, the what if, the beginning of their lives has not started. 

But here's the thing. Life has already begun and you are putting things, important things on the back burner waiting for someone to come along to help carry the weight of that responsibility. Is your life a life of the temporary waiting for the permanence of home life and family to start?

This is why you should unpack the backpack and settle in one place.

1) It's hard to make a genuine contribution to the world around you

When you are travelling from one place to another it is hard to actually make a difference in a community. You arrive, meet the locals, form fast friendships built on surface level interest but there are no strong commitments to each other as friends. You don't go beyond the surface level of friendship and you don't actually get to the heart of somebody. You don't connect in a real or genuine way. What's the point, you may be gone tomorrow?

This is how some of us treat our friendships and our lives. I have spoken to women who truly believe that their "ministry" in life or their "calling" and purpose is to work in partnership with their husbands that for the present, do not exist. So instead of contributing to their friendships in meaningful ways they drift from one friendship to another and only have surface level relationships. The moment things get hard they move on. Why fight for something permanent when your life has such a sense of temporary about it? The fallout is that people miss the impact of having the absolute wonder of the real "you" in their lives. Your perspective, your knowledge, your God given skill set could actually make a real difference to your sphere of influence. You just have to invest.

Likewise, you may work but you don't make a genuine contribution to the workplace. You will be gone soon so it doesn't matter if you put in the hard yards and pull your weight. Come next year, no one will remember you anyway. 

I have to admit that this is something I struggle with. Growing up I was asked what I wanted to "become" referring to the career path I would take. My choices bumped around from actress to makeup artist to social worker but truthfully I assumed that I would work until I had children then my major role would be mother and wife and work would be secondary to raising a family. I still know that this is in some way my calling and desire, but I can’t deny the fact that for now I am a career woman. And so I have to contribute to my workplace beyond what is expected and make the most of my work life.  

Thirdly, make a contribution to a vision or a calling beyond yourself. If you are part of a church, then volunteer, contribute as much as you can while you have the time to. Yes, you work full time and you are now focussing on making a career thanks to my last point. Yet you still will have more free time than the average parent. You don’t have to find a baby sitter to go early to a service or attend a meeting at night. You still can have your rejuvenating breakfasts down at the local café on a Saturday morning. But why don’t you consider making a genuine difference to a cause too. Connect yourself to a higher purpose then your own life.

2) You can't settle, there is always the next big thing around the corner

It has to be said that someone who would chose to backpack around Europe must be a romantic and an idealist. You would have to be someone who has a dream and a vision and enjoy the idea of the wanderer. However, this sense of wanderlust can also be driven from the inability to ever be satisfied or settle. Why would you be satisfied with Rome when you know Paris is the next stop, Paris could be better right?

"What's wrong with that?" you cry! Advertising campaigns and our Instagram's are covered with quotes declaring that one should never settle, you should always be on the pursuit of more, that settling down is for the fearful.

Firstly, advertising campaigns are run by people who need for you to not be satisfied with life now or ever. The very idea of consumerism is that you must buy, you must consume you must be forever finding the better option. Does this make you happy when you get the new thing? No, it just makes you want more. When I went to IKEA to get my new table last week was I satisfied? No because during my trip I saw some amazing armchairs that would look incredible in my life, err… I mean house.

When you aren't able to settle in life then how are you supposed to be able to find a life partner? If you are always after the better thing, then that amazing girl may just pass you by because you are too scared that the next girl that comes along might be better. Let's just drop the whole "ultimate package" idea right here too. You are not buying a brand new lounge room set from Super A-Mart. Give up looking for the ultimate package and start looking for someone you have a connection to first.  

I think in fact that settling is for the brave. How amazing to say "I don't know what the future holds but I'm making this decision and I'm sticking to it"?

3)You carry your worldly possessions with you. 

When you carry around your life in a backpack it can be a very heavy and long walk. My housemate loves hiking, I picked up her hiking bag this morning. Let me tell you, that thing was heavy, about 15 kg's of weight! When you travel without anywhere to house your baggage, life becomes a painful and slow journey.

I have many single friends in my life. Some quite obviously carry a lot of baggage.

Baggage on a single person quite often looks like cynicism. Cynicism at anyone's attempts for set ups. Don't even try to get them to put their hand up anywhere to admit they are single. Don't talk to them about singles events or be sure to hear groans and see rolling of eyes. They complain there is absolutely no one of the opposite gender "out there" and all the good ones are taken. They carry past hurts with them and it is very obvious to the world around them.

I am saying "they" but I should be saying "we" as I am as big a culprit as any. I have allowed past hurts and experiences of rejection ride on my back and slow me down. The baggage quite often is disguised as protection; we carry it so that we don't feel disappointed again. Some of the baggage we have carried around since we were very young. some of the baggage is childhood hurts or school yard betrayal. We have formed views of ourselves as unlovable or inadequate and so have packed a bag full of gadgets and gizmos we hope will make up for our lack. We have also packed a tent in there so we can crawl in it and hide if it all gets too scary.

Not all the burdens in our life are easy to get rid of. I have found that some burdens are released when we talk deep and meaningfully with our friends about genuine issues in our lives (back to point 1). I have found that prayer and prayer ministry with others can be a powerful tool and I have also found that some burdens, particularly to do with childhood or very painful issues need counselling. How blessed we are to live in an age where counselling and visiting psychologists is not something to be embarrassed about but something that shows how dedicated you are to living a baggage free life.

If you are alive and in your late twenties, early thirties then there is no way you have gone this far in life without some heartbreak or baggage. If you haven't already, why don't you start unpacking your bag and dealing with these issues?

4) You start to become weird

This is pretty self-explanatory. Picture someone who has been backpacking for 6 months and you might imagine someone with a sock tan, wear a bandana. Picture someone who has been backpacking for 6 years and you imagine someone who looks like Tom Hanks at the end of Castaway with long hair and beard, sun burnt to a crisp, dirty and pretty smelly... and that's just the women.

The thing is, something like backpacking changes you long term. Your perceptions change, you view the world differently and well, you could come across as just plain weird.

I'm just going to put it out there, there are some singles who are just plain weird. They put out a weird vibe and they wonder why the other gender run a mile. You might be one of these weird people and don’t know it so I will just put it out there. So let’s set some ground rules about how you can infiltrate back into mainstream now that you have taken your backpack off and decided to no longer travel. (Hey man, you probably, like me, have some anxiety and confidence issues and don’t really want to eat your next lover’s first born.) These are based on my observations mostly of guy’s behaviour but I will try to also cover the weird girls where possible. If you do any of the following you are a weird single and you are going to struggle to find someone with the vibe you are putting out there.*

1. Don’t hover and stare. Just because you aren’t talking and we aren’t making eye contact doesn’t mean you are invisible, we are aware of your presence. You are not wearing an invisibility cloak. Say hi. Join in the conversation. Nod and laugh in the appropriate moments. If you get stuck ask a question.
2. Bathe, take care of yourself, dress nicely, smell nice, get a modern haircut.
3. Don’t be a secret harasser. You know who you are! Facebook messaging girls or guys again and again. Read the subtle clues. If they are not responding it is not because you need to try harder. I’ve known very decent guys who have developed reputations of being secret harassers.  
4. Don’t be a public harasser. The very last thing I want when I walk into a room is to be shouted at unless it’s a friend who is inviting me over to chat. You know that thing builders are known for, that happens sometimes when groups of boys are gathered around each other even at church. It’s a chicken’s way of saying “Pay attention to me while I assert my male dominance in this pack of men”. No, come over to me and say hi. Shouting out for no reason is weird.
5. Let’s be friends. Every relationship should be built on friendship anyway right?  It is very disappointing when people are nice to you until they realise you are not interested in anything romantic. It is never a waste of time to make another friend in life. Don’t be that guy who ignores her because she said no to coffee. If your friendship was so conditional on them falling for you and not actually wanting to make a genuine connection, then are you really that nice a person? And don’t whinge about them wasting your time. Like your time is any more precious than theirs. Relationships do develop from friendships. Don’t allow yourself to be used in a friendship but don’t let your pride shut it down.

 5) It get’s a bit lonely travelling alone.

Go on a long backpacking trip, and your friends will start to leave as they settle in cities or go back home to face responsibilities. Travelling alone can be rewarding but there are a lot of things about it that are hard.

I started my adult life with a whole lot of friends who were in a similar situation as me. We were all single or casually dating and an impromptu trip down south was just a juggle of work and we were off. Along the way my friends started pairing off and soon my single friends group grew very small. Trips away now had to factor in their partners and their children and became near impossible feats. With nearly all of my close friends at the moment either married or in serious relationships it can seem very much like I am travelling alone.

 I am so grateful that I have formed friendships with people who have room in their lives for me despite their marital status. Some haven’t and that’s okay. I have accepted that and moved on to people who do. I also have, along the way found new friends that are single who I can form deep bonds with and walk along side of. My housemate is one of these people. We can talk about our theories on “Soul Mates” and “The One” and all the laughable moments about knowing when to approach someone, when to wait, when to hope for something and when to move on. It’s really important to not do this life alone.

What does stopping backpacking look like in this example? It’s forming new friendships when the old ones fall away. It’s establishing new types of normal when your friends settle down.

 

So what am I really saying? I guess I’m saying that life is a journey but you do need to put down roots, make more permanent life choices, redefine your friendships as the evolve, don’t do this thing alone and get rid of you heavy burdens and most importantly, stop being weird.

 

Shannon

Xxx

*In some way I have done every one of these weird things (except the calling out thing) because I am also weird and can be anxious and socially awkward. I’m particularly weird around guys I like so I get it. It’s so hard to just be the normal you who is on the inside because the fear to perform becomes so difficult you’re your inner dialogue goes crazy. so what I am saying is focus on being friends first.

Also, it is really important to let your inner freak flag fly.

What’s the difference between freak flag and weirdo? Weirdos make us feel awkward, threatened and unsafe. Freaks make us think “gee, I wish I had the guts to truly be myself like that hero”.

So be a freak but try not to be weird. And never smell. Ever

That's it, I'm done waiting!

I'm done waiting, you should join me.

I have decided it is time I stopped waiting for my prince to come along so we could build our palace together. I have decided to build my own (palace that is, not prince).

I went for a beach stroll with my friend on Saturday. We talked about the changes in our lives and the goals we were setting for ourselves this year. 

She is one of the most secure, independent girls I know, yet when I brought up the subject of building a home by myself she was blown away. She couldn't help but admit that she hadn't thought of getting property because, unconsciously, she was saving that for when she settled down with the man of her dreams. She immediately started making plans to get the piece of land she dreamed of by the sea, to build her cabin. 

Time is a massive jerk! 

Here's the thing friends. If you are waiting to find someone before you buy your house, take your trip or climb your mountain then you are waiting for all the wrong reasons! Time isn't standing still, waiting for you to fall in love, making sure that you are compatible and that you have the same life goals. Time doesn't care that you are planning for your first overseas trip to be your honeymoon or that you have the perfect vision of picking carpet swatches with your wife. Time is a jerk and your next birthday is going to come around like clockwork whether you make those decisions or not. Time doesn't give a rip about your agenda. You will get old regardless. 

It's time to grow up!

Look, if the timing is bad for you because you aren't earning enough or you are working hard at your career or you need to live with your family right now then this is one thing. If you are getting into credit card debt and wasting your money on silly things to make you feel good while you wait... Then you might as well be sitting in a large waiting room playing candy crush. You're gonna spend a whole lot of money on something that is digital, something that quite frankly doesn't exist. Something that will only have a negative impact on your life. I've said it before and I will say it again, candy crush ruins lives! And so do poor choices made from buying things for the wrong reasons. 

Get out of the waiting room!

Enough is enough. Clear your debt, stop living like a 18 year old Uni student (when you are actually 30). Start living the grown up life you dreamed of, with or without your dream person.* 

In the spirit of inspiring you, I have written for you, my beloved singleton, 5 reasons why buying a house is better on your own. 

1. Size doesn't matter. 

My first house will be small. I won't have much of a garden and not much room for a growing family. But who cares?  I'm not growing a family in there. When the time comes I can sell the house or use the equity to buy a bigger house to raise the family. My house is perfect for just me. 

2. You probably won't die in it. 

Following on from point 2, I'm not planning on growing old in the house. It won't fulfil all my needs through my entire life. It's just a stepping stone. This means it doesn't have to have the giant theatre or the 4th bedroom. It doesn't have to be the dream home. It's the "nice for now home". Remember the great house that you grew up in? It probably wasn't the first house your parents ever lived in, they started small and humble so stop trying to replicate that last home lifestyle with your first! Work your way up. My parent's first home cost $38,000 and definitely didn't have air conditioning and stone bench tops.

3. Property is always a wise investment. 

I know some people will tell you that property isn't the way to go. And short term maybe not, but long term, a house in the right location is always a wise choice. You may meet the person of your dreams tomorrow. What you will bring into the relationship is property, equity and something of value that can be rented out if need be. You could bring in bad credit card debt instead if you wanted to i suppose...

4. No poo brown tiles (unless that's what you are into). 

My friend recently built a home with her husband. He has a strong opinion about home decor. Shame that it's a style much suited to 10 years ago. My friend felt she compromised a lot on the design and colours because of his ideas of what looked good. Instead of the wooden floorboards she envisioned, she compromised for brown tiles. Not sure if I could do that. It may not be the style you have to compromise on, but let me make this clear, I got my amazing scullery added and didn't have to worry about the size of the theatre or room for a shed. #winning

5. Queen bee or Top Dog

If you rent out a room to help with the mortgage then you are the boss of the share house. No more tiptoeing around the fact that your housemate doesn't wash their dishes or help with the clean up for rent inspections. No more competing for the queen bee of the home or the alpha male. You are in charge and others have to keep the house to your standards or they are out. Just think of all the power you will then possess!  The ULTIMATE POWEEEER! (Super villain laugh)

Hey look, not everyone earns enough to get a mortgage right now I get it. But is there something in your life you didn't realise you were waiting for? Are you wasting your earnings on things rather than making life decisions that will bring you long term rewards? 

Get out of the waiting room! Start running towards your dreams. Live! Take risks! Make goals. Set yourself targets. Take the road less travelled. Blow your mind! **

You got this! 

Shannon 

xxx

*Notice I didn't say "Perhaps you'll meet your person "out there" on your big mountain or holiday or building your house" this is for four reasons. 

1. Singles hate hearing that crap, as if we don't already think that every day. This is not a new concept for us. We all have internal monologues based around the thought that the time we met The One was when we decided to go to the shops in what we slept in the night before and because of that, The One has decided to live a life of celibacy. 

2. You might not met The One "out there". You might meet The One curled up under your doona... the psych doctor coming to assess your mental stability because you've been in bed for two weeks. Nursing you back to health one spoonful of Ben & Jerry's at a time. To dream the impossible dream. 
Don't stay in bed though, that is the opposite of the point I'm trying to make. Just get on with things, is what I'm saying. 

3. You may think you will meet The One when you are shopping in display homes but do not be deceived... that salesperson is only after one thing and it's in your pants... eww guys, I meant your wallet!

4. Can anyone tell me where "out there" is? I've been told to put myself "out there" more but I'm struggling to find it!

** note to self insert more inspiring quotes here... maybe sporting ones... also, find out what sport is...

The problem with hope

The Problem With Hope

I have a love hate relationship with hope. 

Sometimes I just hate it. I hate what it does to me. It creates a stirring in my heart and a lightness in my step. It causes me to believe in what is barely possible. It makes my heart soar when I should stay grounded in the facts. And this makes me furious. 

Furious because if my hope is dashed, then I have so much further to fall. Hope has the ability to break my heart. I hate giving power to anything that could cause so much pain. Yet I do it again and again. 

I've had seasons where I have lived off the drug of new found hope. It happens in a instance, a look or a moment with the right kind of guy and I'm there. Living in hope that this could be it. This could be my season to love and be loved. (I'm not talking about the thing other girls do where they plan the wedding and wonder what their babies will look like the moment they meet. That's a blog post for another day) I'm just talking about the quickened heart beat and the thought of "Hello, this one's not a complete mutant".* 

I am also talking about the kind of hope I have for my future. The hope to have the family and the house and the lifestyle I dream of. The hope I am called into a profession that will change the world and fulfill my every desire. 

And so I fly high. Hope becomes my drug of choice. The problem with highs is obvious. What comes up must come down right? The crash and pain from hopes dashed is a pain like no other. 

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Prov 13:12

Hope deferred has made me sick before. Physically sick. Talk to anyone who's been through a hard break up and they may say the same thing. I became so run down and lost any desire to move or  participate in the world. I had a medical illness and was checked for all sorts of diseases with blood tests and scans. It was serious business. 

I am happy to say that I have moved past this and I'm healthy with a busy social life and a zest and drive for life. But I wonder looking back why Paul would say...

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Cor 13:13

Why hope? When hope can tear the soul and break the heart? Why would it hold value right along side faith and love? Isn't faith enough? The bible has a lot to say about hope. 

"But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 41:30

"We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:20

Just like faith, hope has to have a purpose and direction. We are not supposed to hope in our future or our loved ones. We are not supposed to put our hope in our career or our marriage. We are supposed to put our hope in the LORD. 

When the scripture uses the word LORD it is talking about someone who is in charge. Someone who is sovereign over us. Someone we chose to put in control. 

So if I put my hope in a sovereign LORD I am saying "I trust YOU with my future my hope is YOU having it all worked out in YOU having the best possible path for me. My hope and trust is in YOUR timing." 

What does God do in return? He honours us with strength, with flight, with help and protection. When we put our hope in God we won't get weary. Our days aren't good or bad based on our situation or what we can see in the real world. What goes up doesn't necessarily have to go down when the creator is holding it in his hands. 

Waiting in hope is frustrating. It's like a really long flight on a squashy plane. You know you are going somewhere, you know that it's gonna be awesome. The pilot has promised you won't miss out because you are arriving later then other people. But the scenery has been the same for the last 5 hours (or 32 years), the air feels stale and there is a baby crying**. It's a feeling of restlessness and the need to stretch your legs. 

Hope is  believing that your are destined to arrive at some point. Faith is knowing the plane will stay in the air even though you don't understand the law of aerodynamics. And love... The kind of love I'm hoping for... That's worth the wait.... After all, love is the greatest!

Share with me your thoughts on this, is anyone brave enough to admit they've been through something similar? 

xxx

Shannon

* I do not wish to bring offence to the mutant community. I for one am a big advocate for the The X Men and everything it stands for. I would be very happy to meet and fall in love with Cyclops or Wolverine. I am of course talking about Toad and other brotherhood of evil mutants that sometimes rear their heads at Young Christian Single events for the over 30's (you know what i'm talking about) 

** It's probably one of your friends kids that you are babysitting because you don't have a date on Saturday night