This morning after my walk, I sat down on the steps in our garage instead of going straight inside to get ready for my day. I don’t know why I did that, but that was miracle number one because I rarely do that. 

Miracle number two is that one of our outdoor kitties happened to be in the garage at that exact moment. She came over to be petted, but suddenly leapt over my leg and pawed at something I couldn’t yet see. It took a few more moments to realize what it was. Watching closely, I soon saw a baby garden snake winding its way behind an extra box of litter in an attempt to make it to the side garage door I had just come through.

Likely one of our outside cats brought her in the garage “to play,” and she managed to escape immediate death by hiding under the stairs. I knew what had to be done and summoned my courage. Even though it was a baby garden snake, I was still not thrilled about it. Snakes are NOT my thing.

With a plastic grocery bag, I scooped her up and set her down in the bushes, one house over. She didn’t move so as to not draw any more unwanted attention, I suppose, and she may have been in shock. I reassured her that she was going to be just fine, and covered her with a bunch of leaves.

I came back home and realized I had gone on my walk without coming back with a life lesson to write about. But moments later, I knew I had received a topic after all, something so timely for me and hopefully you as well. Holiday seasons bring jolly for sure, but year end can also intensify life for us in other, not-so-jolly ways.

When I recognized that my blog content would come out of the snake rescue, I quicly went back to get a picture of her. This is the pile of leaves I had covered her with, but she had already moved on to better things. Yay for her! Miracle number three is that this little baby snake will now hopefully see tomorrow!

What are the chances that a little baby snake would survive being brought into a garage where five outside cats live? Pretty slim odds, don't you think? And yet with a miracle of timing and the perfect alignment of circumstances and actions, that little baby snake is living happily ever after in my neighbor’s yard. (Oh it’s okay, they won’t mind.)

What are you facing right now that is starting to seem impossible? Where have you lost hope that things will ever be different? Or maybe you still have some hope left, but you are weary and the resolution you've been praying for seems to be taking forever? I get it.

I have been believing for an abundant, pure water well on our land for two years, after our first attempt became an expensive hole in the ground. We hit water but to keep the story short, it was untreatable and unusable. We wanted the assurance of water BEFORE we built our house, but it didn’t work out that way and we moved forward in faith. 

Now, two years later, we are a few months from the completion of our home, and are really ready to have an abundant, clean water supply. Rather than fostering fear and hopelessness these last two years, I have stood on my faith that we will have pure, wholesome, gushing water on our land, exactly when we need it. I look forward to sharing about that victory with you and everyone else who knows I’ve been praying for that. I will not relent until I see that miracle unfold and taste that crisp clear water.

Declaring what we believe and living in a state of hopeful expectancy, instead of looking at what appears to be impossible, is a choice. I have never found any benefit from staring at a problem and cultivating more fear and anxiety about it. I have found numerous victories in standing on the confident expectation that all things are working for my good. Although I may not get everything I want when I want it, I do receive everything I need and it's always "right on time."

I send encouragement to you today in whatever place you are struggling to keep hoping for a favorable outcome. Maybe things are even starting to feel impossible. We have to stop looking at the problems and cultivate the faith and hope that our needs will be met in a timely fashion in ways we haven’t even considered.

Today, remember all the evidence in the past—when we faced a tough situation and ultimately experienced a victory. We will experience victory in this season of our lives as well, although we must open our minds to what that victory will look like. It may be different than what we want, but still more than sufficient to meet all our needs. Gratefully, I am enjoying the fruits of many miracles in my life, none of which I could have or would have intentionally designed.

Today I am with you in finding the gifts and expecting miracles.