My wife, Kristen, has a special place I affectionately call Kristen-Land.

Kristen-Land is not found on any map. You cannot purchase a plane ticket to get there, and your phone’s GPS will never give you directions. It is a magical place where possibilities are endless, people usually have good intentions, and things that seem too good to be true just might actually be true.

In Kristen-Land, the restaurant is probably still open, even though the lights are off. The item that is sold out everywhere might somehow still be waiting on the shelf. The weather forecast calling for rain could easily be wrong. And when someone announces that Lowe’s is selling all its outdoor plants for 50 cents, it is time to grab your purse, call a friend, and prepare to buy the entire garden center.

Recently, Kristen and our good friend Kristi were preparing for an expedition into Kristen-Land. They had heard the glorious news that all of Lowe’s outdoor plants were marked down to just 50 cents each.

Not fifty percent off.

Not five dollars.

Fifty cents.

To Kristen and Kristi, this was not merely a sale. This was a once-in-a-lifetime horticultural event. I imagined them arriving with carts lined up like a wagon train, ready to rescue every fern, flower, shrub, and slightly wilted plant in the ICU section.

I honestly believe their plan was to buy the whole place.

Before they left, however, I decided to introduce one inconvenient concept into the conversation: verification.

I called Lowe’s.

I asked the employee whether their outdoor plants were being sold for 50 cents.

The answer was simple.

“No.”

As I hung up the phone, I could not help but laugh because one scene immediately came to mind. I pictured Clark Griswold finally arriving at Walley World after driving his family across the country, only to discover the park was closed. All the anticipation, all the planning, all the excitement came crashing into reality in a single moment.

In my imagination, Kristen and Kristi were about to have their own Walley World moment.

I could see them pulling into the Lowe’s parking lot with visions of loading cart after cart with flowers, hanging baskets, shrubs, and native plants, only to find perfectly ordinary price tags waiting for them. Thankfully, unlike Clark Griswold, they never had to experience the disappointment in person. One quick phone call spared them from making a special trip to a garden center that was definitely not giving everything away for 50 cents.

We all had a good laugh about it afterward.

Yet beneath the humor was a lesson God quietly impressed on my heart.

There is something beautiful about people who are willing to believe good news. The world needs people who still possess wonder, hope, and the ability to become excited about possibilities.

At the same time, hope must always be partnered with wisdom.

A Heart That Still Believes

One of the things I love most about Kristen is her ability to believe that something wonderful might be waiting around the corner. Life has not robbed her of hope. Despite her battles with cancer at a young age and despite losing her father at an even younger age, she can still hear a story about an incredible opportunity and think, Maybe it is true. It’s one of my favorite qualities about her.

Some people have become so cynical that they automatically reject anything positive. They have been disappointed so many times that they protect themselves by expecting the worst.

If someone offers encouragement, they question the person’s motives. If an opportunity appears, they immediately list everything that could go wrong. If someone says that God can redeem a painful situation, they respond with skepticism because they have been hurt before.

Cynicism may protect us from occasional disappointment, but it can also prevent us from experiencing joy.

Scripture tells us that love “always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:7, NIV). That does not mean we believe every rumor or ignore reality. It means we refuse to allow disappointment to harden our hearts.

Kristen-Land reminds me that there is still room for wonder.

There is still room to dream.

There is still room to believe that something good may happen.

There is still room to get excited about 50-cent plants, even when the plants are not actually 50 cents.

Faith Is Not the Same as Wishful Thinking

Biblical faith is not pretending something is true simply because we want it to be true. Faith does not require us to ignore facts, dismiss wisdom, or accept every promise we hear.

Faith is confidence in God.

Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (NIV). Our assurance is not built on rumors, social media posts, emotions, or unbelievable sales. It is built on the unchanging character of God.

God is faithful even when circumstances are uncertain.

God is present even when answers are delayed.

God is working even when we cannot yet see the outcome.

Wishful thinking says, “This must happen because I want it to happen.”

Faith says, “Whatever happens, God will remain faithful.”

There is a tremendous difference.

I can hope that every plant at Lowe’s is 50 cents, but I should probably call the store before borrowing a trailer. In the same way, we should bring the decisions of our lives before God, examine them carefully, seek wise counsel, and test what we hear.

Proverbs 14:15 reminds us, “The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps” (NIV).

Wisdom does not destroy hope.

Wisdom protects hope from being misplaced.

Test What You Hear

We live in a time when information travels faster than truth.

A story can be repeated thousands of times before anyone bothers to determine whether it is accurate. A rumor can create excitement, fear, anger, or confusion before the facts are ever known.

This happens with sales.

It happens with news.

It happens with relationships.

It even happens with spiritual claims.

Just because something is repeated does not make it true.

Just because something sounds spiritual does not mean it came from God.

Just because an opportunity looks good does not mean it is right for you.

Paul wisely instructed believers, “Test them all; hold on to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, NIV).

Notice that Scripture does not tell us to reject everything.

It tells us to test everything.

Discernment is not negativity. Discernment is the God-given ability to separate truth from error, wisdom from foolishness, and God’s voice from every other voice competing for our attention.

Before accepting something as true, pause and pray.

Ask questions.

Look for confirmation.

Seek wise counsel.

Compare what you are hearing with Scripture.

Sometimes one phone call can save you from showing up at Lowe’s with twelve shopping carts and a dream.

Do Not Lose Your Sense of Wonder

While discernment is essential, we must be careful not to become so guarded that we lose our capacity for joy.

There are people who would never fall for the rumor about 50-cent plants because they no longer believe anything good can happen. They have become so skeptical that every opportunity is viewed with suspicion.

I do not want to live that way. I want there to be a Jeff-land, just like there is a Kristen-land.

Jesus said we must receive the kingdom of God like a little child. Children possess an incredible ability to wonder, imagine, trust, and become excited. They can see possibility where adults only see obstacles.

Growing older should increase our wisdom.

It should never erase our wonder.

God still does things that seem too good to be true.

He forgives what we thought could never be forgiven.

He restores what we believed was permanently broken.

He opens doors we could never have forced open.

He provides in ways we could never have predicted.

He brings purpose from pain, hope from loss, and beauty from ashes.

Ephesians 3:20 reminds us that God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (NIV).

That sounds a little like Kristen-Land.

The difference is that God’s promises are never imaginary.

God’s Goodness Is Never a Rumor

The sale at Lowe’s turned out to be a rumor.

God’s goodness never is.

His mercy is not exaggerated.

His grace never expires.

His love is never available only while supplies last.

Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us that because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning.

Every morning.

Not occasionally.

Not only when life is going well.

Every morning.

The world will disappoint us.

People will fail us.

Plans will change.

Deals will fall through.

Rumors will disappoint us.

But none of those things can cancel the faithfulness of God.

James 1:17 tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from above.

God is not playing games with your life.

He is not trying to trick you.

He is not dangling false hope in front of you.

His timing may not always match yours, and His answers may look different than you expected, but His heart toward you is always good.

Living Between Hope and Wisdom

The goal is not choosing between hope and wisdom.

We need both.

Hope without wisdom leads to disappointment.

Wisdom without hope leads to cynicism.

Hope says, “God can do something wonderful.”

Wisdom says, “Let me make sure this is truly from God.”

Hope dreams.

Wisdom prays.

Hope moves forward.

Wisdom checks the direction.

Hope sees possibility.

Wisdom builds on truth.

I want to keep a little bit of Kristen-Land in my life.

Not because every unbelievable story is true.

But because I never want life to rob me of believing that God can still surprise me.

At the same time, I want my feet planted firmly on the truth of God’s Word, allowing biblical wisdom to guide every decision I make.

Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not lean on our own understanding. As we acknowledge Him, He promises to direct our paths.

That is where confidence comes from.

Not in rumors.

Not in unbelievable bargains.

Not in wishful thinking.

But in a faithful God who has never broken a single promise.

Keep Believing

Maybe life has disappointed you enough that you have stopped expecting good things.

Perhaps prayers have gone unanswered.

Perhaps relationships have been broken.

Perhaps opportunities have slipped away.

Or perhaps you have simply had too many Wally World moments in life.

Do not let disappointment become your permanent address.

God is still writing your story.

The closed door is not the final chapter.

The unanswered prayer is not evidence that God has abandoned you.

The delay is not a denial of His goodness.

Psalm 27:13 declares, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (NIV).

Remain confident.

Stay hopeful.

Walk wisely.

Test what you hear.

Seek God’s direction.

And never lose the childlike wonder that believes your heavenly Father is still able to do exceedingly more than you could ever ask or imagine.

There may not be any 50-cent plants at Lowe’s today.

But there are fresh mercies waiting for you this morning.

There is grace for today’s struggles.

There is wisdom for today’s decisions.

There is strength for today’s battle.

And there is a faithful God who never closes the gates on those who place their hope in Him.

So, dream big.

Pray boldly.

Walk wisely.

And before you hook up the trailer to buy the entire garden center… you might want to make one quick phone call.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for filling our lives with laughter, hope, and moments that remind us not to take ourselves too seriously. Thank You for giving us hearts that can still dream and believe that good things are possible. Help us never become so cynical that we lose our sense of wonder, but also give us the wisdom to test what we hear and seek Your truth above every rumor and every emotion. Teach us to anchor our hope not in circumstances, bargains, or wishful thinking, but in Your unchanging character. When disappointments come, remind us that Your goodness has never failed and Your promises remain true. Give us discernment in our decisions, joy in our journey, and unwavering confidence that You are working all things together for our good and Your glory. May we walk each day with hopeful hearts, wise minds, and steadfast faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.