It's Time To Expect The Unexpected by Pastor Susan Fochler

About 12 years ago Russ and I jumped at the opportunity for some free soil to backfill our very large, down-sloped backyard.  It would help level our yard and increase the usable space near the back of the house.  However, we completely underestimated how effectively a backhoe is; over the course of just a few days a huge mound of soil had been deposited, completely changing the landscape of our yard.  It also, inadvertently, uprooted several fruit trees including two pear and a pomegranate.  We were grateful for the added soil, but a little sad at the loss of the trees.   An Unexpected Surprise Fast forward to this year, and one of the wettest winters we’ve had in a long time.  Apparently wet enough to resurrect long dormant pomegranate seeds that remained hidden under the ground, for, sure enough, we have a fledgling 3 foot tall pomegranate tree growing right where the old one had stood. The tree that was gone and completely forgotten is coming up quickly, strong and healthy.   The Year of Jubilee Our God often operates like that in our lives.  We see something die, something we’ve hoped and yearned for, and it seems like it’s gone forever.  We try to remain hopeful, but, humanly, it’s hard.  But John 12:24 encourages us to think from an eternal, Kingdom perspective, that “unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain”.  Resurrection power makes no sense in the natural world, but it is perfectly normal and to be expected in God’s Kingdom.  And, as this is the Year of Jubilee, we can start expecting the unexpected as never before.   Old Dreams Becoming New Do you have any dreams or desires that seem to no longer have life?  Was it too hard to stay focused and hope-filled over the long haul?  Is it possible they are just lying dormant and need a fresh watering of prayer and expectancy to resurrect them and bring them back to full restoration?  I believe this is the year to see new things happen.  Like my little pomegranate tree, a traditional symbol of life and death, rebirth and eternal life, fertility and abundance, may this be the year old dreams become as new.  Desire fulfilled, after all, is a tree of life.  Proverbs 13:12. With love and expectancy,                                            Pastor Susan Fochler