When I was a child I knew today as “May Day.” At school we always had a festival with food, games and of course the ceremonial weaving of the May Day Pole by the young ladies in their frilly pastel dresses.  The day always seemed to evoke excitement and possibilities for me. The weather had turned the corner, the sun was out more, the air seemed extra fresh and clean and I was real close to ending the school year. I could smell the freedom of baseball, hot dogs and trips to the beach with my grandparents and cousins. I just knew that around every corner was a new adventure, just waiting to be embraced. I began to believe again in the freshness of each new day.

I didn’t realize it until later in life that the feelings I experienced during this time of year were feelings I could embrace every morning of my life. I discovered Lamentations 3: 21 – 25 (NLT) which communicates this mindset. “I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!’ The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.” The first couple times I heard those words, I knew they were true, but didn’t grasp the significance of them. It wasn’t until the purpose behind and when
the fullness of God’s grace overwhelmed me that I understood the brilliance of rest and what beginning each new day provided us. It was then that I began to experience the true meaning of hope and that led me to an overwhelming feeling of gratefulness.

The dictionary defines hope as “wishing for something with the expectation of its fulfillment.” Something is lost in that definition. It leaves me feeling empty. However, the Greek word used in Scripture for “hope” takes our expectation one step further. The word elpis moves you from wishing to actually “possessing your expectation with confidence and sheer pleasure.” The world says it is good to wish for, or covet something, but God says it is better to expect something. You, my children, are charged to go into every day and every circumstance with confidence and trust. You have a surety the rest of the world does not possess. You can expect God to meet and/or exceed your expectations as He shapes the people and circumstances of life to help strengthen you into your Kingdom role. You will not just get what you hoped for, but you will receive it with a twist that impacts your eternal destiny. Instead of what you expect, you receive the “new and improved God version” of your hope.

You all know me well enough to know that I am not a “name it and claim it” person. However, I do believe God and take him at His word. If He says I can look at each new day with fresh expectations, then you should look at the day and expect Him to teach you something. Don’t limit your expectations. Don’t be satisfied for the ordinary. God wants us ordinary people to be extraordinary. Don’t limit Him by putting him in a box. Be grateful and share your hope for each new day. After all, He is . . . God!

Love Dad