*I wrote this on the 10th, but haven’t had access to post it until today.*
Though my venture across the globe has not yet begun, my travels within the country have increased.
Becoming a minimalist has been difficult, particularly after my garage sale rained out, and more than half of my belongings ended up at the door of Goodwill. It is a little bit of a joy to have all of my “things” in one place, though—that place being my KIA.
So this past week, after emptying my life of some
un-necessities, and packing my car full, I started off on the twenty hour drive from Florida to Georgia, Georgia to Delaware, Delaware to Pennsylvania, and finally ending in New Jersey.
In 2 of the 3 hours it took to get to GA, I was accompanied by hurricane rains. With them came an uneasiness associated with the memory of hydroplaning my brother’s car three summers ago. I prayed and asked God to protect me and my car. When I finished my open-eyed prayer, I noticed a small rainbow—through the rain—just behind the mud flap of the semi in front of me. I know the rainbow specifically symbolizes God’s promise never to flood the earth again, but for me it was more of a comforting reminder of my safety in His care. So thanks to His protection, I made it to GA in one piece; car fully intact.
The nearly 15 hours I spent alone in my car from GA to DE were a great time to catch up on some calls, talk with God, and just enjoy the splendor of varying landscapes along the east coast. I drove through the night, rather than the day, and around 5 A.M., after almost eight hours of driving, I started to get drowsy. I prayed again—this time asking for alertness. I felt that God heard my prayer and I was honored when minutes later the sun began to rise.
Though long, the rest of the trip went rather well, and I made it safely to DE around noon.
My Father protected me every minute of this trip, and I am so thankful that I had Him to depend on. I
expected safety, and He granted it.
I feel like expectations are not talked about much among believers. But how can we have faith without expectations. Expecting God to provide is certainly different than saying, “well, gosh…I really hope He pulls through for me again.” Expectations provide a sort of certainty to the situation. We ought to
expect His will in all things—not go in blindly and hope for the best. The preamble to expectations should always be prayer, though. When you pray, and seek His will and blessings, you are going out with the right mindset. “God, I may not always know what to do next, but I am asking for your guidance, and I
expect you to direct me.” Hope seems passive, while expectation is more active—it is a much stronger emotion and desire.
I know that God holds my future and will direct me, and I want to
expect more from him.
