It was probably our 4th or 5th bus ride of the month and our 2nd overnight trip so I knew exactly what I was in for. Stopping every 30 minutes unannounced, Bollywood music to keep the driver awake, Nepali’s throwing up directly beside me, and curvy mountain roads. “I will choose joy, I will choose joy,” cried the little racer that could. Being deep in the midst of month 8 I was longing for home and exhausted from culture immersion. I knew immediately that joy wouldn’t and couldn’t be my choice in this instance; it needed to be a gift from God.
It seems to be the fastest way I learn on the race (according to my blog history at least) but a bus ride was just what God wanted to give me to remind me of who He is. In the midst curvy mountain roads, strange Nepali men, loud music, and very limited place to leave my legs God sent me a sign. A rainbow was somehow beaming down beside me. I’m sure you’re thinking this seems like a Biblical coincidence but I forgot to tell you that it was pitch black in the middle of the night – and definitely not a coincidence. Right there where the sun wasn’t shining I was riding in living color of our living Savior.
The rainbow has been a symbol of promise since it stopped raining on Noah and his ark. God promised Moses He would free his people. He promised Abraham not just one son but an entire nation of descendants and God promised to spare Rahab’s family when she hid the spies. There are countless examples of promises in the Bible and those same promises are happening between God and His people today.
Prom-ise [prom-is] n.
a declaration that something will or will not be done, given, etc. by one.
an express assurance on which expectation is to be based.
indication of future excellence or achievement.
Assurance and expectation?
That’s the way life works. We are all looking for assurance; the promise that we are accepted and loved. Sometimes we look for it in our friends, sometimes we look for it in our jobs, sometimes we don’t even realize we’re looking for it in our actions but all we’re really asking is am I loved? God promises that we are loved and wanted and have a place in His home forever but we must always expect it. Hope is a beautiful thing to hold on to but it is easy to be filled with doubt. Even the most hopeful and optimistic people experience doubt and the way to push past those seasons is to remain expectant. Expect good things to happen. Expect God to bring you joy. Expect God to move those mountains. Expect to change the world. Expect to make a difference. Expect to have great stories.
Expect that God is on your side and is the powerful creator of the universe because He is.
Jesus never said life was easy or pain free; we are aware even He who was not of sin wept in the world. (John 11:35) God promises that something will be done or given to help you in times of trouble or weakness. He assures us that we can expect Him to be there for us and promises that things will get better. We must keep our assurance in the Lord and our expectations high because you never know when you’ll find yourself on a Nepali bus ride but it is promised that God will be there with you, expect company.
