When I was 17, I went on the road touring around the US, Canada and eventually Australia, playing about 2000 shows in 4 years. Being in Australia was such an amazing experience. it was really more like living there than touring as some famous musician.
We played high schools and junior highs. We rode around in a station wagon and had a truck to carry the equipment. I really got used to driving on the wrong side of the road. Ha!
I can remember many times, the frontman, Mark Lach and I would have these verbal contests to “out dream” each other; not sure what else to call it. We’d start describing what we’d be doing when we were really successful as a band.
He might start with something like, “Van Halen called and wants us to open on some dates.” To which I’d say very matter-of-factly, “Well, we can’t because we’re doing those dates headlining with Zeppelin.”
This would go on till one of us broke and cracked up laughing at how over the top we had gotten! Most of the time we were both laughing hard at the end of it!
The Lord has brought that memory back to me many times but this morning, He brought it back and challenged me in that fun way He does and said, “You can’t out-hope Me!” I knew exactly what He was saying; it was game on!
There’s more to this story but, suffice it to say, He was trying to encourage me to hope in His amazingly personal and wonderful way. So, I guess I’ve written this down for you. To see if you could hope again?
Jesus is challenging you to hope again, dream again. There is nothing He can’t do; but He can’t do in your life, what you’ve never hoped for! Faith comes after hope, and faith is our response to God’s grace, all of the things He’s already provided for us in Jesus’ payment.
So I dare you to hope again; it doesn’t disappoint! Romans 5:5