Ever prayed for a dream only to have it land in your lap, but not look like what you expected? So much so that you don't know it's there? I've had a recent prayer answered, but not realized it until later. One of those epiphany moments.
A similar thing happened with the Messiah. The people prayed for his coming but when he arrived, he didn't appear as a warrior king. The world is saved, not by a powerful conqueror but by a baby in a feed trough. Oh it looked much different than the expectation.
What about you? Are you at a cross roads wondering if your dream is going to work out? Expecting, longing, working every day toward that dream only to be left empty handed? Or is it a mere appearance that is stumping you?
Stretch a bit now. Remember that old adage that appearances are deceiving. That doesn't just fit how a person looks. It fits a situation. Take a few minutes and think back to a moment in your life when you felt it was darkest, maybe you even felt lost, when you believed the worst. Then, to your surprise, the sky opened up and you were surprised by success.
Concentrate on that incident. Now build your belief on the possibility that it wasn't isolated. If it were isolated, how would it be possible that it's happened millions of times to other people. Or are you the only person in the world that's ever been surprised? I can't think that I am.
God works in the most surprising ways. Who are we to tell him our impatience and demanding trump a great surprise?
When there are no other options, we're blessed with something astonishing. Creativity to problem solve. And sometimes, we are blessed on top of that with support above and beyond our own capability--consider it a gift.
Prayer opens your heart's eyes to surprising possibilities even when it appears there are no other options. I did that recently. Not my normal prayers when I wake up. But a prayer that focused on this dream, this sense of losing the dream, and the boxed walls I felt around it. I didn't see the solution. But God did. No door, no window.
I didn't see it coming and I'm glad. I wouldn't have felt the rush of joy and gratefulness had I simply worked my plan and achieved it right on schedule. Don't get me wrong, I had a plan for this goal and I was working that plan. But it appeared to fail. Or so I thought. The entire ceiling blew off my perceived box a few days later. How incredibly creative God is!
Remembering a past surprise success helps us to have hope. Where there is hope, there is the desire to keep trying even in the darkest moment. Where there is hope, there are creativity and joy and great experiences.
What do you think? Are you waiting for the ceiling to blow off?
Angie
I'm now offering confidence coaching. Please contact me if I may be of assistance to you. Find out more at http://www.MyGemOfWisdom.com
Related Post:
http://Godusesbrokenvessels.blogspot.com/2010/01/gain-confidence-through-curiosity.html
4 comments:
Angela, interesting timing for this post. I am going through a situation where I think that something that was promised is absolutely not going to happen. Hmmm... I need to think on this further.
A lot of things have fallen into place recently, but I've viewed them as stepping stones rather than THE stepping stone to my goal. Hmm....
Your post came at the right time for me. Thank you, Angela!
Thanks, ladies, for commenting :-) I'm hoping that each experience I have can help someone else too. Let me know how things turn out. It's fascinating they way they do.
Angie
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