Yesterday, I dropped off both kids at the same school in one drop off and came home to an empty house.
It reminded me that during the pandemic and our year of homeschooling, there was nothing I wanted more than to have some time in an empty house. Some time in the space we were all sharing every day, all day long. And so in between meetings yesterday, I stopped for just a minute to reflect and remember that a desire I had over a year ago had been fulfilled.
Every time I read the prophets, I think the language of fulfillment. There were promises God made to God’s people that they held onto in hope and faith for a long, long time. As the were scattered in the diaspora, they held onto the hope that the temple and community that had been destroyed would be restored.
Sometimes just like God’s people wandering in the desert or recreating community in the diaspora, we have to wait a long time for our desires to be fulfilled. Sometimes we are so busy and distracted that we miss the moments that our desires, our hopes, and our dreams have been fulfilled.
Whether it’s an empty house, meaningful work, growing family, or another deep held dream, I wonder if stopping just for a moment to reflect and remember might actually reveal the way God has heard our hopes and has walked besides from dream to fulfillment every step of the way.