Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12

The Bible is full of lives with deferred hope.  There are so many lessons there for us to cling to, when we are struggling with dreams yet unmet. I have struggled in seasons of my own life, where I ached for a dream, and fearfully wondered if God’s desire for me was different than what I longed for. 

My oldest daughter was born two days after we celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary. It was hard to watch other’s dreams come true, while I had been waiting so long.  Whether it is longing to find a spouse, struggling with infertility, or waiting for the promotion, or walking through treatment for an illness, there are many seasons where our hope can be deferred.

It is easy in these times to turn to our own ways.  We want to control the situation, especially when “No” seems like an unacceptable answer.  Many women in the Bible chose this when they struggled with infertility. ( Sarah and Rachel both gave their maid servants to their husbands to “fulfill God’s promise”.)  As if God couldn’t bless them on his own!  All we do when we take matters into our own hands, is mess things up.

We are called to wait on the Lord.  This is so hard!  It would be so much easier with a crystal ball.  If we knew how long we would have to wait, and we could plan around it.  The light at the end of the tunnel gives us hope, but when we are stuck in the waiting it is hard to be patient.  The longer the unknown, the more hope seems to fade. 

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!  Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage Psalms 27:13-14

What helps me when I am struggling with hope, is to look at God’s past faithfulness.  While I may not have what I am hoping for, I have seen first hand his presence in my life.  Often times it is in the hardest seasons that I grow the most in my walk with him.  When I search for his promises and hold tight to Him through the struggle, I can find peace in the uncertain, because I know my God is trustworthy.

Hold tight my friends.  Draw near to him and he will draw near to you.  Someday, you WILL be on the other side of this, and look back and see how he directed your steps.  His timing is perfect, and he has not forgotten you.