In the Middle There Is Hope

By: Victoria Zangaro

The middle of a situation is always the hardest part . . .

At the beginning, there is still faith that God will answer our prayers quickly. Most of the time, in our human brains, that means God will provide what we're missing in the upcoming days. We sometimes expect for our prayers to have rapid answers, because that is what we want, but is that what God wants? 

At the end of a situation, you may receive what you were hoping for—though sometimes we don't. But at least the waiting period is over and we finally know the results. There is relief and closure that comes with just knowing. We stop coming up with different scenarios in our head regarding all the possible outcomes and simply reflect on the result. 

However, in the middle, there exists this crazy mixture of emotions. We falter, our strength starts to leave us; we sometimes become discouraged, fearful, doubtful, or angry. To put it bluntly, our faith is often severely tested the more we wait. 

The simple truth is that waiting is a struggle for people at any age. Whether  four years old, 14 years old, 40 years old, or 104 years old, humans want to have control. We want to know how everything is going to unfold; we want power over the outcome. We want to believe that we're truly the master of our own destiny, but that’s not how it happens. This is why it's often so hard for us to wait, to sit, to rest, to be patient, to leave things in God's hands. But here's the thing: There is something amazing that happens in the waiting if we let it . . .

You see, in these times of waiting, God can move and do an amazing work inside us. He can change us profoundly as we wait on Him to change our circumstances; He can move our hearts as we wait for Him to move us forward. In the waiting, He can grow our faith, provide us with perseverance, and develop our character if we let Him . . . if we surrender to Him. 

Now, this won't always be the smoothest of journeys. But we can ask God daily to increase our faith, we can ask Him to renew our hope. And here's the awesome thing: Our hope is not wishful thinking; it's not a blind desire that we have. It's a confident expectation in the God who saved us, who loves us, who sent His Son to die for us, and who has proven Himself countless times to be faithful. So, we can  confidently trust that the will of God will come through and that His plans will happen and that it will be the very best thing for us, even if they are not the same as our plans. 

Romans 8:28 tells us that God works all things for the good of those who love Him, and that applies even when it doesn't seem like it. Why? Because God knows what we need in each season to be stronger in our faith. I know that in whatever situation you may find yourself, it can be easy to start to lose hope as time goes by and more problems come rushing in, but you must remember the One who is in control of your life is the One who loves you more than you could ever imagine, and His  plans are always for the good of His children!