I write when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning. ~William Faulkner (also attributed to a few others)

 Let's talk about the importance of showing up even when we don't know exactly what we're supposed to do, or what the next move looks like. 

For instance, I write and edit a blog for you once a week. Inspiration comes in the form of a topic and a draft is created some time in the previous week. The editing, formatting, and scheduling is usually done the Monday prior to you receiving my email on Tuesday. 

Occasionally, Monday arrives and I have nothing. No draft. No topic. No ideas. Nada. Zilch. Zero. And guess what?

I sit down right on time, expectant to do the work anyway. When all we have is dedication and commitment, and are willing to move in the right direction, that's usually enough. When we go through the right motions, most of the time we are given what we need to keep going. We just have to show up.

This is true for my writing and painting. This is true for any action taken with the faith that we will receive the needed help along the way. A life of faith and trust can be quite exciting (ok and sometimes nerve-wracking!). 

We love books and movies that keep us on edge, guessing what's going to happen next. When it's our own reality, not so much! But if we're willing, faith and trust can help us navigate real life stuff with curiosity and hope.

We may not know how things are going to work out, and we don't need to know. We just need to keep showing up ready to do our part, expectant to receive exactly what we need at just the right time.

Holiday and year-end pressures are real. Finances can be stressful. Relationships can be tenuous. Even in situations that seem insurmountable, the value of showing up and doing the very next thing unleashes the smallest amount of optimism, which is often the very thing needed for the next thing to fall into place.

Sometimes having hope IS the next right action. 

Daring to hope when things look hopeless takes courage and a lot of mental and emotional energy. If holding out hope is all you can manage today, that's something. Hoping can be hard! If it were easy to hope, everyone would do it.

If you're struggling today, are you willing to hope? Are you willing to show up anyway, bringing a spirit of optimism and curiosity? Are you willing to be surprised? 

Life loves to delight us! God loves to show off for us! Today, dare to hope and watch the next step, or perhaps the next reason to hope, unfold before your very eyes. I'm with you.

PS.
In last week's blog, Finding the Miracle, I wrote about the pure water well we've needed on our land, and the prolonged journey of uncertainty we've encountered with that. Sharing my own struggles with you can feel vulnerable. I do it anyway, because I want you to know we are more alike than we are different. 

Many tears have been shed during the long two years spent waiting for the assurance that we would have water for our home. But also, much "showing up in hope" has happened, too. I knew we would have water, but I wanted the uncertainty to end. I'm excited to say that as of last week, we have a great well that will meet all of our water needs! They were drilling the day I was editing and we found out that evening. We're so grateful.

Then Thanksgiving happened and I had forgotten that I wanted to share the exciting news with you about our well. (That was long before turkey, sweet potato casserole and a lot of homemade zucchini bread). 

Today, in writing my way through not having a topic, it turned out to be a nice follow up from last week's topic, about how to approach the hard stuff while waiting for the miracles. "Just showing up" worked again! Willingness to hope and take the next action is a great way to live.