Don’t Stop Believing

To my fellow “80’s child”, no, this is not about Journey’s song, “Don’t Stop Believing”. Shocking, I know. A few weeks ago, I read a blog post that resonated within my spirit. Since God has been adding to that word, I thought I’d send a little “life” and encouragement your way on this bitter and blistery winter evening. In the post, Kerry Campbell used tulip and amaryllis bulbs as an analogy of life coming forth where there is no visible life.

I just took this photo yesterday of one of my mom’s hydrangea bushes out in her garden. It is hard to believe that in just a couple months new buds will be shooting out from those dead sticks. That bush has weathered snowstorms, zero-degree temps and deer chewing on it, yet life will still spring forth because of life and activity taking place within the roots…even in these winter months.

Ten years ago, God made 2 bold promises to me. There are days when I am resolved in my faith and full of peace and anticipation; then there are days when I am discouraged and restless. Guess which days my focus is on my unchanging circumstances and which days my eyes are on my Promise Maker?

The “winter seasons” of our lives can be difficult. They can be long and bleak if we focus on the lack of change. Our conclusions and outlooks are then formed by what we see…or don’t see. Like this hydrangea, our hopes, dreams and even God’s promises to us can look “dead”. But as in the rhizome roots, bulbs and tubers of perennials, there IS activity taking place beyond what our eyes see as God works things toward fulfillment in our lives.

Satan is a thief and a liar. Never forget it. He wants to sabotage every hope of yours and mine and every promise of God.  One way he tries to do that is by drawing our attention to the lack of life in those areas we have been praying over. He forgets though that as believers in Christ we belong to the “God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist” (Romans 4:17 NASB). Never forget that either.

That verse above is taken from a passage of scripture that talks about Abraham being justified by faith. Verses 18 – 21 go on to say, “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”  (Emphasis mine)

About 25 years passed between the time God first revealed to Abraham that he’d be the father of many nations and when Sarah gave birth to Isaac (the beginning of God’s fulfillment). Just because God doesn’t fulfill His promises within our timetable does NOT mean that He isn’t going to fulfill them! Our rationalization is not God’s. He didn’t need Sarah to be in her childbearing years for her to bear a child! So the next time we are tempted to doubt or be discouraged, let’s “…imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” (Hebrews 6:12). Let’s actively refuse to doubt that in the fullness of time we will see new shoots of life bursting from those dead sticks in our lives!

*On a different note, for those interested and on Instagram, I am reposting my yearlong Creative Challenge each week. I’d love to have you join me over there @hispaintbrush_michele!