Mid-Week Miracle: Hope Gives Life Like CPR

Must dreams be fulfilled for life to fulfill us?

My sister looked me in the eye over lunch recently and said, “How ARE you? You haven’t written a Mid-Week Miracle in weeks.”

She knows me. She knows writing is my passion. If I’m not writing, something probably IS wrong. But what could it be? Why had I stopped testifying to ways God shows up in the midst of our daily routines?

I’m still writing episodes for my weekly podcast, Believe & Speak. I’ve also committed to writing guest posts every Friday for a friend’s Facebook Bible study. But why had my commitment to send you weekly miracle stories crashed and burned?

A Bible verse came to mind, exposing the culprit that had wrecked my joy.

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12 NLT)

I had driven head-on into the brick wall of unfulfilled dreams.

Too. Many. Times.

Colliding with roadblocks to our dreams can tempt us to put our passions in park, or back up and take another route—abandoning the very pursuit that sparks the most joy.

We generally think of temptation as a lure to do the wrong thing. We can also be tempted to NOT do the right thing.

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
(1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT)

God provides a way for us to endure the heartache of deferred hope.

If we listen, we can hear him coaxing us with love and compassion. He knows when it’s time to get back on the road again, and he won’t let us stray too far off course.

Here’s how The Message interprets Proverbs 13:12.

“Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around.”

Wouldn’t you agree that a “sudden good break” is like an adrenaline rush of hope? God knew I needed a break. My first traditionally published book released in July 2020, but Covid-19 killed my plans to travel and speak for various women’s groups about its life-transforming content. Quarantines locked down most opportunities to share the message tucked inside its pages.

The sales graph for my book resembles the results of a flatlined EKG with a few blips here and there to prove a breath of hope might still exist.

Well, I finally got my break… or, at least the potential for one.

An email from the senior producer of the audio division of an internationally known radio program sparked hope, like CPR to my sick heart.

The opening sentence of the email reads,

“Quite a while ago, we received a copy of your book Longing to Belong. Have you given any speeches on this subject? We often air speeches instead of interviews as a way of sharing personal testimonies in a dramatic way. Of course, there’s no guarantee that we can air what you send to us, but we will evaluate it carefully. Here’s what we’re looking for…”

Life doesn’t come with guarantees, but it does come with opportunities. Even the mere prospect of driving past the wall between me and my dreams made my heart start to beat a little stronger.

God knows when to send someone like my sister to look you in the eye and say, “How ARE you?” If you’re struggling to stay the course, I pray my testimony rekindles your passion and reboots your pursuit.

God won’t give up on you or the dreams he has given you.

When you pursue the dream-giver more fervently than you chase your dream, you don’t have to wait for your dreams to be fulfilled for your life to be fulfilling.

Trust God’s timing as you pursue your passion, he knows the desires of your heart. In fact, he gave them to you.

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.”
(Psalm 37:4-6 NIV)

So, keep asking God for your “sudden good break” and don’t stop believing.

Dream on!

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