Waiting; A Story of Renewed Hope

Thank you for all your prayer and support over the past few months. As many of you know, we have been planning a move from PEI to BC. We discovered that we truly cannot surprise the Father. From the final landing place for our family to the financial challenges of a cross country move, we learned that the Father has already taken everything into consideration.

When we announced that we were moving we had no idea what to expect. Through your generosity, encouragement, prophetic words, and prayer we caught a glimpse of the beauty of God through each of you. Thank you for that.

We left PEI on December 31 and arrived in Chilliwack, BC on January 10. We spent the better part of November looking for a rental only to have one fall into our laps 5 days before Christmas. I can’t help but still be a bit stunned at what the Father has done. It’s been humbling, challenging, and life-giving.

Let me tell you how I caught a glimpse of the Father at Mount Rushmore. And how I believe that moment has become a prophetic word to each of you as well.

On the seventh day of our journey, we were traveling through South Dakota. Mount Rushmore was only about 30 minutes off the highway and we figured it was worth making the detour to see it.

As we approached the site, the fog grew thicker and thicker. We were concerned that we would make the trip only to have it obscured by the weather. As we drew closer, I heard the Father whisper:

“Pay attention to how this plays out, it will prophesy what is to come.”

When we arrived at the lookout point, the monument was obscured by fog and only barely visible. Within a few moments, the fog settled in and Mount Rushmore had disappeared in the haze.

In my experience, it is often like this when you are following the Father. You catch a glimpse of him and what he is like. You see in part what he has invited you into. You see enough to make the leap but where you will land remains a mystery.

We stood for a while hoping the fog would clear, but it wasn’t. The parking lot attendant just laughed at us when we drove up. A worker present said, “They’ve been in the fog all day, there’s no way you are going to see them.”

Isn’t this so often the case when you have caught a glimpse of the Father? The voice of the enemy comes in to rob you of the beauty you just witnessed. Or of the hope that you will see it in full. When you are in the business of waiting to see what the Lord has promised the enemy tries to have his day. He will whisper all kinds of things about how it is never going to happen, or that the Father isn’t really going to do what he said, or that the whole thing was just made up in your mind. He does everything to rob you of the quiet trust the Father invites us into.

Perhaps you have had someone who has walked by and shouted, “You’ll never see it!” The enemy loves to sow seeds of discouragement.

Eventually we made out way down to the gift shop, but the words the Father spoke were echoing in my heart. When we left the shop about 20 minutes later, our son gestured toward the monument and said, “Hey dad! I can see it!” I turned back and looked. Sure enough, he was right! The fog was clearing and the images of the Founding Fathers were emerging.

Dusk had settled and Mount Rushmore was illuminated by a series of spotlights. You could see the faces clear as day. It was picture-perfect.

How does this pertain to me and to you?

There are things you have glimpsed that others have yet to see. You might get frustrated in the waiting. It is easy to lose hope in the delay between the glimpse and the promise fulfilled. For many of you, the glimpse you captured has been obscured by the fog and the enemy wants you to lose hope.

Is he who he says he is?
Is he as good as he says he is?
Will the promise come to pass?

The crux between the glimpse and fulfilment is trust. The invitation of the Father is to remind ourselves of what we have seen and where we are going. What is He like and where are we going? The simplicity of following God in loving trust is constantly re-orienting your gaze back to him and what he is like. It is not on a great promise over your life. It is on him and his present.

Some of you have been waiting for years for the vision to crystalize. Maybe you feel as if you have lost hope. Know this: the Father has never wavered in his intention towards you.

““Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do—He reveals to you who He is.” ”

— Oswald Chambers

Take heart and rest assured that what the Father has revealed will come to pass. You may be in the middle of the story, but he is going to reveal himself to you in deep and profound ways. It just may take a bit of patience.

People are yearning for a fresh encounter with the Father’s heart. Each of you has caught a glimpse and because of that we can never define what the Father intends to do. We have just begun to catch sight of him.

The goal is to not define what we do, but to prepare a resting place for the Father to come. When the Father desires a resting place he moves the hearts of people. Perhaps you have sensed the Spirit stirring something in you. We believe he is stirring the same in others.

People may call what you do church, a conference, or a revival. But it is really none of those things. It is a movement of the heart in preparation for the Father to come.