Rain, hail or shine, I have been a committed gym attender. I started going to Curves when I was thirty, twenty years ago, and I am still there. I used to tell people if I only have two things in my daily routine, prayer and curves then I am okay. Curves have been a significant factor in my self-care over the years. I talk about this in my upcoming book more extensively as it is so vital to have YOU TIME, especially if you are a carer. Curves have great memes that pop up while we work out, and this one, in particular, struck a chord with me.

”while you wait for God to open a door, praise Him in the hallway”.

Another theme I devote an entire chapter to in Hope Wins is feeling stuck! Feeling stuck can get you down and make a person feel trapped like they are in prison. I have struggled with feeling stuck many times in my life, as the issues I face are often very complex to solve. It can be likened to me living in a labyrinth and not knowing where the twist or turn in the hedge will get me out onto the new path. Patience, they say, is a virtue, but sometimes our patience can be exhausted, and we want that breakthrough or change to happen NOW!

So, as I was doing my 30-minute workout and reflected on praising Him while I wait for God to open the door into the new season of my life, I believe He is leading me into, I found peace.

God’s Spirit led the Apostle Paul on His journeys written about in the book of ACTS. If you read chapter 16:9-10, you will see how the Holy Spirit prevented Paul from going to particular regions. God then leads him to Macedonia to preach the Gospel after diverting Paul away from these other places.

Paul was in tune with God’s leading in His life. His example has encouraged me to try to listen more carefully to the Holy Spirit’s promptings, which will ultimately lead and guide me on His path of righteousness. So I heeded the Lord’s guidance to ”slow down”, and I am learning to become more in tune with His timing and ways, which will be far better than my own. While I wait, I will PRAISE HIM IN THE HALLWAY.