Any day now, I am certain the producers of Wheel of Fortune will be calling. I’m so certain that I continue to hone my skills by solving puzzles on their game show app. If you see me looking at my phone, I’m not on Instagram, I’m on “The Wheel”.
There is one puzzle though, I haven’t quite solved.
Why do I always feel like I am waiting for something?
Have you ever felt that way? We’re waiting for a reply to our email; for the money to come in; for the friend to call for coffee; for the little ones to be able to pour their own milk; for the big ones to get accepted into college; for our real purpose in life to be revealed.
Most of the time, I feel a sense of waiting without knowing what I’m even waiting for.
That can be good or bad. I think when it’s bad, it’s called Anxiety. I’ve had my fair share of that.
But when it’s good, it’s really good, because it goes by the name of Hope.
Hope means we are expecting something good to happen.
So how do we go from Anxiety to Hope?
Honestly, I’m still working on doing that with absolute consistency and I’m not there yet. Although the meds help.
Here’s what I know. I can flip the switch from Anxiety to Hope when I sit myself down and have an intentional conversation with God where He does most of the talking and I do most of the listening.
I tell him I’m waiting (anxiously) and He tells me to Hope because He is working behind the scenes.
I tell him I’m waiting (anxiously) and He tells me to Hope because He is doing a good thing in me.
I tell him I’m waiting (anxiously) and He tells me that waiting’s not such a bad thing, because there is a powerful promise in the wait:
“But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him]
Will gain new strength and renew their power;
They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun];
They will run and not become weary,
They will walk and not grow tired.” Isaiah 40:31 AMP
The next time you’re sitting on that pencil thin line between Hope and Anxiety, sit yourself down and have a conversation with God. He can provide all the Hope we need for the wait.
