Why the Best Is Yet to Come

I admit, I don’t always live like the best is yet to come. Take the other day, for example. I almost missed it.

It was the third day in a row of grey, overcast whether, and a mixture of ice and snow covered the ground. My three-year-old played inside while I did some last minute Christmas shopping online. Then, I hurried to round up my two youngest and pick up my firstborn from after school activities.

As we made our way down the mountain, it appeared. With swift movement, it peaked from behind the clouds at first, then danced on bare treetops. Its rays created a shimmering display like stardust, beckoning us to stop and stay a while. I snapped a picture on my phone and sighed. The sun was here. And so was winter.

As much as a part of me dreaded its arrival, I couldn’t deny winter’s beauty.

A couple of months ago, I asked God to open my eyes to his grace and glory all around me. In the midst of stress over deadlines, kids activities, and lack of sleep, I’d lost the wonder over this life he’s given me, and I longed to see him with fresh eyes.

Being the gracious, loving God he is, he delivered. But it hasn’t been easy. Each day, I have to train my eyes to look for him. Often, he shows up in the most unexpected places.

Perhaps you can relate? Over the past few weeks, many of you said 2019 was one of the hardest years of your life. Some of my dear friends received a painful, unwanted diagnosis. Others experienced the unexpected loss of a loved one or faced other types of loss, less physical in nature but no less difficult to navigate. As the weeks left in this decade turned to days, you anticipated the fresh start of 2020 with readiness and desire.

What if 2020 wasn’t just the start of a new year and a new decade, but a time for you to see God with a fresh perspective as well?

I believe the best is yet to come.

Perhaps instead of waiting until you’re on the other side of the struggle, the valley or the trial, he’s inviting you to see all the ways he’s working right here, right now?

When I wrote my new book, Shift: Changing Our Focus to See the Presence of God, I thought I was doing all the things a follower of Jesus should do. But I was frustrated. I didn’t understand why, despite serving, reading his Word, and spending time in prayer, I still wasn’t seeing him in ways I thought I would.

I took a step of faith, but the result wasn’t what I thought it would be.

After obedience to what I was sure God was calling me to do, I faced endless roadblocks, detours, and opposition. Was I doing something wrong, or missing something?

As I sought God and listened, he revealed a life-changing truth to me: If we want to see God in the midst of our struggles, we have to change the way we look for him.

No, there isn’t some magic formula. We don’t serve a God who sends us on a wild goose chase, dangling a carrot in front of our face that he never intends to give us.

But we do serve a God who wants our hearts. Not just a piece of it or the part we’re willing to invite him into, but all of it. And giving him our whole heart requires trust. It means trusting him in the middle of the uncertainty, the unclear answers and yearning for a roadmap.

As we enter a new decade, will you take a journey of discovery with me? I believe God wants to wake up our faith, confidence, and ability to see his work, even when we can’t connect all the dots yet. After spending the past year writing this book for you, he’s shown me a few ways we can get started.

But you know what? I can’t do this without your help. This is the beauty of God’s kingdom. We get to do his work together. With each of us working to spread this message, we can do so much more than I can do on my own.

Will you join me in sharing this message with the world? Beginning January 6, 2020, we will launch this book into the world. I know that with your support, God will do more than I can ask, think or imagine.

You can find all the details about joining my launch team by clicking the link below:

Click here to join the launch team!

A few quick notes:

1. You do not have to know anything about launching a book to join my team. My lovely launch team manager, Kaitlyn, and I will show you everything you need to know!
2. As a personal thank you, I will be hosting a live Q&A to answer any questions you have about the inspiration for the book, how to write a book, land an agent, etc. during the second week of launch.
3. If you are unable to preorder at this time but would like to join my team, please send me message (use the contact form here). I do not want that prerequisite to be a deterrent for anyone.

Thank you for your love and your encouragement, dear friends. Thank you for showing up here, for reading my words and sharing some of your own journeys here too. I’ll see you in 2020!