As much as I’ve seen Rare Faith work in my life, each new goal stretches me and tests my faith almost as much as the previous ones. While my confidence in the laws and principles has grown over the years, there really is no arrival; you just get more accustomed to the process.
So yes, I still have unfulfilled dreams that I am holding in faith. Some are harder for me than others. But in recent weeks, I noticed that the thought of not living one of my unfulfilled dreams (surprisingly) stopped bothering me.
Where I had previously coped with the delay by:
looking for the good in it,
trusting in the Law of Gestation, or
finding gratitude without it
…I suddenly felt something new. Instead of managing my anger, disappointment, confusion, or discouragement, I found that I was now actually feeling giddy about the delay.
Where did THAT come from?? I wondered.
I couldn’t figure out how I could inexplicably feel GIDDY or suddenly excited about NOT realizing a dream that has previously held such importance in my life, so I pondered and explored the feeling to find the root of it…
And I found it.
As I wondered the question, the answer was already there.
It was a clear and acute awareness that the delay actually meant something. In this case, it meant that God had something in mind for me that would be even more amazing than what I had previously imagined, and that He was already working on orchestrating it. The image of what that might look like was abstract, but vivid. It was a feeling, or an assurance that I was going to end up being MORE grateful and MORE excited about HIS version of my dream than I can possibly imagine.
It was a feeling that He couldn’t wait to surprise and amaze me with it, but that it’s going to take some time. With that new perspective, I believed it, and felt giddy.
I just think it’s interesting that I felt giddy about it before I even understood why I had reason to be.
So this has become one of my newest mantras:
When it appears that nothing is happening, God is up to something.
Or however you want to say it more poetically.
(I know there is an existing quote that goes “When you’re down to nothing, God is up to something,” but this feels a little different to me. To me, this new version means that we don’t have to be at rock bottom before we feel God’s involvement in helping things happen.)
So, is my new mantra always true? I believe it is.
And whether or not it is, I think we benefit when we choose to believe it.
UPDATE: After posting this, I hit the sack. The next morning I took my daughter to a doctor’s appointment and on our way home, this song came on the radio. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it before, but it was the lyrics at timestamp 2:07 that caught my attention. Enjoy:
Leslie Householder is the award-winning, international best selling author of The Jackrabbit Factor, Portal to Genius, and Hidden Treasures: Heaven's Astonishing Help With Your Money Matters. Since 2002, she has helped people all over the world discover and apply the Rare Kind of Faith that causes things to happen for powerful life changes. Through story and shifts of perspective, Leslie aims to help her readers crush every challenge, achieve every goal, and vanquish every monster under their beds. Above all, Leslie is a dedicated wife and mother of seven children.
Oh my goodness, you’re exactly right! I just had several experiences today that confirmed this principle. Thank you so much for sharing all of your insight, it has been an absolute life changer in our family as we’ve embarked on our new business adventures!
I love it so much!!! I too have had an experience where I felt inexplicably giddy about something that surprised me; I was giddy about being angry! For years I had disconnected from and repressed my anger and not allowed myself to feel it. When I became conscious of the pattern I committed to changing it and the first time I felt anger I was delighted! I was literally tickled pink to feel fuming mad. It made for a funny combination and contrast.
I love your new mantra. When is appears nothing is happening, God is up to something! So good!
3 Responses
Oh my goodness, you’re exactly right! I just had several experiences today that confirmed this principle. Thank you so much for sharing all of your insight, it has been an absolute life changer in our family as we’ve embarked on our new business adventures!
I love it so much!!! I too have had an experience where I felt inexplicably giddy about something that surprised me; I was giddy about being angry! For years I had disconnected from and repressed my anger and not allowed myself to feel it. When I became conscious of the pattern I committed to changing it and the first time I felt anger I was delighted! I was literally tickled pink to feel fuming mad. It made for a funny combination and contrast.
I love your new mantra. When is appears nothing is happening, God is up to something! So good!
This was written for my heart to hear! Thank you for sharing so much of you with us. You do so much more good than you’ll ever know