It’s easy for me to look back on my year and see the areas where I could have done better. If I spent more time working out I could’ve lost the extra weight I’ve been carrying around. Also, it’s a lot easier to write a book if I actually sit down at a computer to get my thoughts in order. The list goes on and on. I think hockey great Wayne Gretzky got it right when he said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” In reflection, I can see the places where I could have done things differently.
Thankfully, the calendar just turned the page to a new year. And, not only a new year, but a new decade! God established times and seasons when He created the world. Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years.” (Genesis 1:14, NLT) Long ago, He planned this very year, this very decade. Just imagine-20/20 vision for your future! Furthermore, who wouldn’t want to dream about beautiful days ahead?
God is planning something amazing for us in the coming days. “Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already–you can see it now! I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there.” (Isaiah 43:19, GNT) God is making a way for us when it looked like there wasn’t a way. Consequently, it’s time to start dreaming again! We are entering a new season. We need to wrap our minds around this: God is for us. He wants us to succeed. God says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor…” (2 Corinthians 6:2, NIV) Something good is on the horizon. Get a vision for it-and make it 20/20.
Things to do today:
- Dream big.
- Read a similar blog called ‘Great Expectations’ and listen to songs ‘Way Maker’ and ‘Future.’
Fall is one of my favorite seasons. There’s something about the vibrant colors that appeals to me. Some years fall sneaks in quietly, and other years it seems to arrive overnight. I call that a ‘suddenly’. That’s what happened with a group of mums I picked up for my church. They gave me a sneak-peek of their colors: speckled white, dappled orange, and dotted red. But guess what? A few days ago when I watered them, I saw that everything changed. The orange mums were loaded with flowers, the white ones were crammed with blossums, and the red mums were overflowing with crimson buds. I thought it would be a gradual process, but overnight the mums were fully dressed. A suddenly took place.
At the Victorian Bed and Breakfast where I work, a festive wedding shower was scheduled. There were so many things to do to get ready for this event! We worked on the landscaping beds and the flower baskets, we swept and dusted the great room, the massive deck was power-washed, the tables were set, and the lunch was prepared. At the scheduled time, the happy guests came in carrying their colorful presents. There was only one problem: the bride-to-be wasn’t there. She was stuck in California, still trying to catch a plane to Ohio. Ever have one of THOSE days?
My family is camping near Lake Erie and we’re hoping for a bright and sunny day today. After raining all day yesterday, it looked like today would follow suit. The skies were overcast in the morning. There was a light drizzle and absolutely no sun to see in the early morning hours. We were wondering what we would do inside all day trying to entertain family from 3 years old to age 76. But midmorning changed our thinking completely. The sun began to burn away the clouds and by afternoon we had a full sky of sunshine and plenty of fun activities on tap. It’s amazing how one moment in time can change everything.
My daisies suddenly burst open. Truthfully, the buds had been taking shape for days. Most of the year the daisies are just nice green plants, but for a month every year, they are stunning. The day I planted the small flowers I hoped for the best. Placing them gently in the ground, I gave them food and water. On a consistent schedule, I fed them, (not bacon an eggs, but you know, plant food). Although there were time I wondered if they’d make it, today they’re very strong. Through the years the flowers have multiplied. And then suddenly, they are glorious to behold.
Hope is the joyful expectation that something good is about to happen. I couldn’t help thinking about hope while sitting at a graduation party tonight while numerous conversations played around me. They were filled with plans of the future, loaded with lofty goals and big dreams. All the seniors were looking ahead, making plans to find their place in this great big world. The theme throughout the party: an expectation of a bright and exciting future. God couldn’t agree more. “‘For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future.'” (Jeremiah 29:11)
The flowers I planted today were nice, but they hold no comparison to their future glory. Right now they’re a bit sparse, a little droopy, and a bit on the small side. Don’t get me wrong, the yellow flowers (coreopsis, yarrow, and petunias) on my front porch have already added a ‘touch of color.’ The red geraniums are taking a stand under the pergola of the back porch. However, I am expecting more color as summer approaches. My flowers need the basics: sun, water, and perhaps a sprinkling of Miracle-Gro. But their greatest need: just a little more time.
Not surprisingly, we’ve had another shift in weather in northwest Ohio. We had fierce winds the other night and those winds left behind colder temperatures and an obvious chill in the air. My furnace is running constantly, trying to keep up with the sudden change. Despite the cold, when I look out my windows the sun is shining brightly. And even though there was snow on the ground this morning, I can see the tiniest buds sneaking out on the branches of the trees in my yard. Spring is on the way.