“There’s more to come…”
— Romans 5:3 (MSG)
Wisdom reminds us not to judge the entire story by one difficult chapter.
What feels like pressure today may actually be preparation.
Wait There’s More…
Finding Hope, Joy, and God’s Purpose in the Middle of Hard Seasons
Life has a way of catching us off guard.
A diagnosis. A loss. A season of uncertainty. A setback we never saw coming.
And somewhere in the middle of pain, many of us quietly begin asking questions we may not even say out loud:
“Did I do something wrong?”
“Is God disappointed in me?”
“Why would God allow this?”
“Is He punishing me?”
If we’re honest, many of us have unknowingly believed a distorted version of God—that when life gets hard, somehow He must be withholding good from us or handing us something painful as punishment.
But Scripture tells a completely different story.
If God reached down to us when we were hostile toward Him, separated from Him, and gave us His most precious gift—Jesus, why would we suddenly believe that now, as His beloved children, He gives us bad gifts?
The truth is this: God is not punishing you. He is present with you.
And according to Romans 5, there is more available to us in suffering than survival.
There is hope. There is purpose. There is peace. And yes—there is joy.
“And That’s Not All…”
In Romans 5:1–11 (The Message translation), the Apostle Paul paints a breathtaking picture of what life with God really looks like.
“By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us.”
Did you catch that?
“And that’s not all.”
In other words, salvation is not the end of the story.
God didn’t simply save us and leave us to survive difficult seasons on our own. He gave us peace with Him so we could experience His love, His wisdom, His strength, His presence, and His hope in every circumstance.
Paul continues:
“There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles…”
Not because troubles feel good.
Not because suffering is easy.
But because God is accomplishing something in us and through us.
At TruHope, we often say: healing doesn’t mean the absence of hardship—it means learning to encounter God in the middle of it.
And sometimes, the greatest miracles happen not when circumstances instantly change, but when our perspective changes.
When the Story Looks Impossible
In 2016, Tory’s life changed overnight.
What began as a hospital visit turned into a life-threatening medical crisis.
She was placed into a medically induced coma for over 33 days. Doctors battled double pneumonia, a punctured and collapsed lung, sepsis, blood clots, respiratory failure, and an esophageal tear that nearly took her life. Machines breathed for her. Tubes sustained her. Specialists fought to save her.
Doctors later called her a miracle patient.
Some said she should not have survived.
Others said she would never fully recover.
She was told:
You won’t walk right.
You won’t talk normally.
You’ll never wear boots.
You’ll never dance.
But in the middle of devastating reports, Tory sensed the Lord ask a powerful question:
“Whose report are you going to believe?”
And through tears, she responded:
“I will believe the report of the Lord.”
This wasn’t denial.
This wasn’t pretending hardship didn’t exist.
This was choosing where to place her focus.
👉 Hear Tory’s Full Testimony Here:
TESTIMONY LINK
Key Principle #1: The Secret to Rejoicing Is Having the Right Focus
One of the greatest traps during painful seasons is becoming consumed by our circumstances.
Pain becomes the loudest voice.
Fear becomes the lens.
Questions become the focus.
But Romans 5 invites us into something different.
“We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles…”
How is that possible?
Because our focus shifts from “What is happening to me?” to “What is God accomplishing in me?”
Tory shared that during her recovery, the Lord clearly spoke to her:
“This is not about you, Tory. It’s about Me. It’s about Me healing you.”
That statement changed everything.
She stopped fixing her eyes on what she had lost and began fixing her eyes on the One who was still present.
The same invitation exists for us.
Instead of asking:
“Why is this happening?”
What if we asked:
“Lord, what are You accomplishing in me and through me to carry out Your purpose?”
Because even in pain, God wastes nothing.
Key Principle #2: The Right Focus Produces the Right Attitude
Focus determines attitude.
When we only focus on problems, fear grows.
When we focus on uncertainty, anxiety grows.
When we focus on God’s character, trust grows.
At some point, faith stops being theoretical and becomes deeply personal.
You stop wondering who God is because you begin remembering who He has always been.
Faith says:
“I know my Lord.”
“I know His character.”
“I know He is good.”
This doesn’t mean life suddenly feels easy.
It means we stop wandering emotionally because we’re anchored spiritually.
Hope changes.
And biblical hope is very different than wishful thinking.
We often say things like:
“I hope it’s sunny tomorrow.”
“I hope everything works out.”
But biblical hope means confident assurance based on a promised outcome.
Think of it this way:
If you bought tickets for an Alaskan cruise, you wouldn’t merely wish you might see Alaska.
You would have confidence.
Why?
Because the ticket guarantees the destination.
That’s biblical hope.
Not uncertainty.
Not “maybe.”
But assurance in Someone trustworthy.
God’s promises are our ticket.
His faithfulness is our confidence.
Key Principle #3: The Fruit of the Right Attitude Is Triumphant Joy
Romans 5 says troubles develop perseverance, perseverance develops character, and character creates expectancy.
That expectancy changes how we suffer.
We stop living defeated.
We begin anticipating what God might do next.
Joy doesn’t mean pretending things don’t hurt.
It means pain no longer gets the final word.
It means sensing God’s presence and perceiving His purpose even in difficult places.
Author and teacher Howie Hendricks once asked a friend:
“How are you doing?”
His friend replied:
“Under the circumstances, it is terrible!”
Howie smiled and asked:
“So, what are you doing under there?”
That question stops us in our tracks.
Because maybe God never intended for us to live under our circumstances.
Maybe He intended for us to live anchored above them—held steady by His love, strengthened by His Spirit, and empowered by His truth.
That is triumphant joy.
Not fake positivity.
Not denial.
But a deep confidence that says:
“God is still good.”
“God is still near.”
“God is still working.”
And yes—
There’s more.
More grace.
More healing.
More hope.
More strength.
More wisdom.
More of God than we realized possible.
You Don’t Have to Walk Through This Alone
At TruHope, we believe healing happens when people encounter the love, presence, and truth of God in the middle of real-life struggles.
Whether you’re navigating emotional pain, trauma, grief, fear, spiritual heaviness, or simply feeling stuck—we want you to know:
There is hope. And there is more.
You do not have to carry what feels heavy by yourself.
Ready to Take a Next Step?
If you’re longing for healing, peace, clarity, or deeper connection with God, we invite you to schedule a prayer and healing session with TruHope.
👉 Schedule a Session Here:
TRUHOPE SESSION LINK
Because sometimes the next step toward healing begins with simply saying:
“God, I’m willing to believe there’s more.”
The Long Pause
Waiting has a sound.
For me, it sounded like hospital monitors and airport boarding calls.
It felt anxious and numb at the same time, suspended between cities, seasons, and prayers.
Pentecost was coming, but so was another flight, another hallway, another stretch of unknown.
Waiting Between Two Worlds
I was waiting while my mom was battling cancer in a hospital more than a thousand miles away.
I was waiting in airport terminals, counting the days until I could fly back to her.
Then I’d wait to come home again.
Back to my husband. Back to my sons.
Every goodbye felt unfinished.
Every return felt rushed.
In the hospital, I waited for treatments to work.
I waited for good numbers. For strength to return. For hope to feel steady again.
Some days I felt overwhelmed, like my chest was too small for the fear I was carrying.
Other days I felt numb, just doing the next thing because stopping felt worse.
I questioned everything.
Waiting exposed every crack in my faith.
Doubt whispered constantly. Discouragement sat heavy.
So I had to do something small but intentional.
I started telling fear who my Lord is.
Out loud.
Again and again.
Creating Joy in the Middle of the Battle
The turning point wasn’t a miracle report or a sudden breakthrough.
It was joy—on purpose.
We decorated my mom’s hospital room like the Caribbean.
Bright colors. Island vibes. Music playing quietly in the background.
We made shakes together.
Laughed like we weren’t surrounded by IV pumps and charts.
We named her IV pole “Bobby Flay.”
Because if we couldn’t control the outcome, we could still control the atmosphere.
Joy didn’t deny the battle.
It stood in the middle of it and said, God is still here.
That’s when waiting shifted from passive to powerful.
I stopped just counting days and started building moments.
Like the father in Luke 15, waiting for his prodigal son.
Watching. Hoping. Believing.
Are you waiting for someone you love to come home to Jesus?
Just as you’re praying and watching, so is the Father.
God Is Working While You’re Waiting
Scripture slowly reminded me that waiting has always been part of the story.
Daniel waited in the lion’s den while angels fought on his behalf (Daniel 10:2–6).
Joseph waited 13 years between promise and position.
Abraham waited 25 years for the son he was promised (Genesis 12:4).
The Israelites waited and counted the days to the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15–22).
Four hundred years passed between Malachi and Matthew.
Silence didn’t mean absence.
Delay didn’t mean denial.
The disciples waited 50 days for the promise of the Spirit.
And Pentecost came right on time.
Waiting may feel like nothing is happening.
But heaven may be very busy on your behalf.
If you’re waiting for:
Help is on the way.
God never wastes the waiting.
If you need space to process this season, consider scheduling a session to talk it through with someone who understands.
Holding On Without Wavering
Hebrews 10:23–24 became my anchoring reminder:
Hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.
Waiting tries to steal what God has already promised.
Fear wants you to forget. Doubt wants you to quit.
So I started building a memorial of remembrance.
I wrote down what God had already done.
Answered prayers. Unexpected strength. Peace that made no sense.
And when discouragement showed up, I spoke back.
Not perfectly.
But honestly.
“I know who my God is.”
“I know He is working, even now.”
Waiting doesn’t mean sitting still in defeat.
It means staying positioned for promise.
If you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed, schedule a session—you don’t have to carry this alone.
Pentecost Is Coming
Waiting is not punishment.
It’s preparation.
Just like it was in the upper room.
Just like it was in the hospital room.
The Spirit comes to waiting hearts.
To honest prayers. To tired faith that still shows up.
If this season feels heavy, you’re not behind.
You’re becoming.
Pentecost always comes after the waiting.
And the wind of God still knows exactly where to find you.
