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By Betsy Ore Glass

Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. – Psalm 25:4-5 NIV

It’s that time of year again! The blue crab is a bottom-dweller whose Latin name, Callinectes, in Greek actually means “beautiful swimmer.” The color of the crab is olive green and white, but it is the blue claw that gives it its name. This 10-legged crustacean is related to the shrimp, crayfish and lobster family. The life cycle of the crab requires that it go through many stages before reaching maturity after about 12 to 18 months. And that’s when it is time to drop a bait line of chicken into the shallow water and net some crabs for dinner!

At a recent neighborhood crab feast, there was much anticipation about how good this year’s crabs would be, how large and how tasty. We had all day to think about it and looked forward to our gathering. When the time came, the steamer was packed full and the scent of Old Bay seasoning permeated the air. Then, one by one, the steamed crabs were piled high on the table, spread with newspaper, for all to enjoy. A real bountiful treat awaited us and we weren’t disappointed. We had expectant hope that our hosts would net lots of crabs and they did!

Living in expectant hope carries over into all we do. Expecting good things to happen is what the Bible teaches when it says “to call things into being.” Some of us are waiting in hope for things to happen in our lives like getting that special job, to find a mate, to get that raise or promotion, to sell or buy a house and so on. More importantly, some people are in expectant hope that their sickness will be healed, tor he biopsy will be benign while others pray that their finances will improve. We all live with hope in different degrees. Expectant hope and God’s perfect timing go hand in hand. Even though it may appear that things have become stagnant and nothing is happening, that is when it is more important than ever to trust God. He knows all things. Always, at the appropriate time, God will begin to shift things, move them around, and put us in places to meet people that will be instrumental in helping to fulfill our dreams. God is not slow to respond to our prayers. God is never late. He is always “on time.” So, to fret over anything is a waste of our time. Instead, with all things, He teaches us to live in expectant hope and to rely on Him. Expect good things. Expect God’s best. He is an abundant God. By letting God do it His Way will ensure that we remain in His Timing with His Blessing over us and in all we set out to do. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. -Psalm 5:3 NIV

Betsy Ore Glass has long-standing ties to the Outer Banks. From Virginia Beach, her family bought a vacation cottage in the 60s and her love of the area began. Later in the 90s, Betsy and her husband bought a weekend cottage and introduced the area to their children. Then Betsy’s parents retired to KDH where the family gathered often. Reach her at betsyglass1@gmail.com or read additional Reflections at www.betsyoreglass.com.

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