Welcome to THE LEAP Year: 2024
“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.”
Happy New Year Friends! Welcome to The Leap Year!
I think you'd agree that the last four years have been a whirlwind (to say the very least). Many of us have had to pivot and shift our goals, hopes, and expectations because of varying circumstances. Unfortunately, this has left a lot of us feeling behind in life. We've measured where we could, should and would have been if that thing, (whatever your thing is) had, or had not happened.
As 2023 came to an end, I prayed diligently, asking God to reveal what the next season would look like and require. One theme consistently came to my attention; movement. Shortly after this revelation, I realized that 2024 would be a leap year, the word leap caught my full attention. Then God did something amazing to confirm His Word…
The Story
A few nights ago, I was traveling to Manhattan with my family for a little holiday excursion. Since I was the one who planned the trip, I was also in charge of directions. We were traveling to a part of Manhattan that I had never been to, and I was completely reliant on Google maps to get us there. Although the path was unfamiliar there were no foreseeable delays or detours. I anticipated the journey being smooth and easy. Keep that in mind.
According to Google, the shortest route required us to take two express trains. The first train ride went as expected. However, when we arrived at the second train we learned that it was delayed indefinitely. We watched as passengers who had been on board before us, trickled off the train one by one. We spoke to the conductor, hoping he’d be able to give us an estimated wait time. There was none. Instead, he advised us to get off the train, and take the local train located on the other side of the train tracks.
Stay In Position
Inevitably, the local train meant a longer ride with more stops. However, I figured it would be better than standing idly without a departure time in sight. So after waiting for a few minutes, my family and I collectively decided to leave the train. The trek to the local train was tedious and required going up and down several flights of stairs. When we finally arrived at the platform, we were gifted with a clear view of the stalled train we had just departed. This vantage point allowed us to see just moments later as the once stalled train sped off. The groans of disapproval flooded the atmosphere as fellow commuters, who had also departed the train, complained. How annoying was it that after waiting with no sign of movement, the train departed as soon as we left?
Nevertheless, unlike the other commuters, I laughed to myself immediately able to see the lesson God was teaching me; stay in position. I turned to my mom and quoted one of my favorite scriptures; Galatians 6:9. It seemed fitting for the moment.
“Let us not become weary in well doing, for we will reap a harvest if we faint, not.”
While that is not the overarching lesson of this blog post, it’s a worthwhile one. Stay in position, friend. You are closer to the moment of departure than you think!
Now back to the story…
After a few minutes, the local train arrived and I put the entire ordeal behind me; chalking it up to a lesson learned. The ride was quick and quiet, and we got to our destination without disruption. However, as we exited the train I looked across the platform and saw that there was another train parked there. I recognized this train immediately. It was the exact train that we had watched drive away moments before! It was the train we had left out of impatience. Somehow, even though we had moved out of position and left the faster, more convenient train, we still arrived at our destination at the same time as the train that went ahead of us! We were not late or delayed. It was as if we had leaped forward. In that moment I could hear the Lord speaking to me clearly, “Daughter, it is the leap year!”
So what is God saying?
You will make it to your destination on time. 2024 is the year that the Lord will allow you to leap. Whatever you have missed because you grew weary and moved out of position The Lord is saying that He will get you to where you would have been if you had stayed in position. He will grant you the speed and acceleration to leap forward to the exact place you would have been if the obstacle, hinderance, or interruption had not occurred. Thats four years of progress in one! BUT, this requires complete and total trust in God and in His perfect plan for you in 2024. It requires obedience.
I think it is safe to say that at some point, we have all disqualified ourselves, or moved out of position for one reason or the other, and it cost us something. Whether that is money, time, opportunities, or relationships. Yet God is so faithful! He is promising to restore us and make it like it never happened. I cannot think of this, without being overwhelmed by the sheer goodness, mercy, and love of God!
Friend, as we enter into 2024, I encourage you to walk with God this year. Pay keen attention to His instructions, trust Him even when things don’t seem promising and I assure you as you do so, He will cause you to LEAP! It’s time to take back territory.
Happy Leap Year!
