Hopes and Dreams

Despite my lactose intolerance, this post is full of cheese. Apologies! I just feel humbled and overwhelmed and I can’t think of another way to express myself.  My prayers tend to be answered in small ways. I’m not a lightening bolt from heaven type of person. But in the past few weeks, I guess the Lord has felt the need to remind me of his incredible love.

It started with my Mission call. Romania???!! I still can’t really believe it.

When I was only 17 and volunteering there for the first time. I remember picturing myself being a missionary, walking through the streets of Bucharest. I’d stop that lady right there and speak to her in perfect Romanian. I’d ask that young couple if they had heard about Christ’s plan of happiness. I’d be tired in the heat of the Romanian summer and have to sit by the fountains to eat a fresh nectarine from the market. And now…  four years later, I actually got called to that place. What were the chances? As my Mum likes to say, there were three chances “Slim, Fat and None!” And yet no matter how many times I check the letter, just to make sure I wasn’t imagining it, it still reads “Romania/Moldova Mission”.

I don’t think I’ve ever had a dream come true before. I feel like Anne of Green Gables when she first arrives in Avonlea. She tells Matthew that she has always dreamt of living on Prince Edward Island, and she has always longed to be adopted and loved, and finally, her dreams were coming true. I guess it’s cheesy but I never thought my dreams could come true. From the advice of Rudyard Kipling I dream but I don’t make dreams my master. I am a realist. And yet, the Lord blessed me with this dream.

I just love Anne! 

I’m learning to have more hope in my life. I think that hope is something we sometimes skip over in the Church. We speak of faith, hope and charity yet hope is often pushed to the side as we speak of foundations of Faith… It’s like a mustard seed. Charity is the pure love of Christ. Serve your fellowman in Charity. Don’t get me wrong, these are wonderful topic but I wish we spoke of hope more often.

A few months ago a good friend directed me to the talk by Neal A. Maxwell “Brightness of Hope” (October 1994) I recommend you Read it!. The talk reminds me that I need to have both faith and hope in Christ’s words. I can have faith that His promises will come true, but I also need hope. He loves me and He wants me to have joy and will therefore bless me abundantly. There are two choices ”you can either live in despair or hope”. I am choosing to live in hope. So although being a realist isn’t a bad thing, it certainly keeps me grounded, maybe the Lord has been trying to teach me to be happier and have more hope.

So I have hope that the rest of my dreams and desires will come true. But in the words of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego “But if not…” I will still continue serve the Lord. I will then have faith and hope in His plan and His wisdom.