I’ve been learning a lot about hope. What does it mean to expect God to show up, even when it doesn’t look like He will?
How do I recognize Him when He does? God appears in this world in so many ways, most of them unexpected. I love being caught off-guard, as I see his humor in a new friend, or am struck by the beauty of sun hitting the landscape just right.
Coming into this adventure, I had no idea what I was getting into. I couldn’t imagine what my living situation would look like, or who I would spend my Friday nights with. I knew almost nothing about the local cuisine; I couldn’t even tell you what I would eat for dinner.
And yet, all of it has been beautiful. There has been so much good— from my sweet, kind host family, to my favorite pumpkin-filled dumplings. I couldn’t have told you that I would fall in love with the food here, or the people I spend my days with, and yet I have. This is a grace of God.
He has met me in very unexpected ways. I would have never dreamed that I would meet a trans person in Central Asia, or live with a prostitute. And yet these have been two of the sweetest opportunities that I’ve had this year to share God’s love. I was surprised by my language helper’s interest in the Bible; we started reading and listening to the Holy Books before I even knew the word for salvation or sacrifice. As we were struggling to talk about basic spiritual ideas, she caught me off-guard again when she mentioned she had shared everything with her family.
I’ve given up on trying to guess what God will do next. My role is to try and be faithful with the beautiful surprises He has given me, and trust Him that more are coming. I think hope looks like this: expecting God’s goodness to show up, without knowing when or how it will come.