Confession: I love catching the clock at 11:11 and for a whole minute squeezing as many wishes as I can into that fleeting moment with the hopes of a little girl that one of them might come true. Yes I realize that a wish made at 11:11 is just as unlikely to come true as one made at 4:37, but hey, a girl can dream. Sometimes I dream big and wish for outlandish, idealistic scenarios that will only live in my mind. Sometimes I have an episode of wish vomit and wish for a thousand things in 60 seconds. Other times I wish for one very specific desire. Sometimes they are romantic and girly, other times they are cynical and dripping with sarcasm. Some are for the well-being and happiness of others and some are very self-centered. Sometimes when I’m feeling like my chips are down I have so many wishes that I can’t decide what to wish for first and the minute passes me by. Other times I feel so blessed that I can’t think of a single wish to wish for and I allow the minute to pass by. Every time I admit to my mind some desire in my heart and allow myself to focus on it for 60 seconds before tucking it away again.

Today is November 11th. This meant I had two opportunities to make epic wishes at 11:11 on 11/11. I was pretty disappointed when I completely missed the first one. I was too busy helping my friend avoid being attacked by zombies, while making it to class on time to scribble out a quiz (That quiz grade could have used that wish). So for the rest of the day my thoughts wandered to the next 60 second window of ultimate wishing. I would be lying if I said I didn’t stress over what to wish for. Do I do vocal warmups all day to train for the fastest lip-moving ever, fitting in a plethora of wishes or do I pick one really special wish and give it all the magic 11:11 has to offer?

Come 11:10, as I sat watching Due Date at the movie theater, I still wasn’t sure. But when the minute turned, it was so clear.

Wishing wells run dry and shooting stars are burning up to a crisp as we watch. I’ve had wishes come true before, and where have they gotten me? Sure, some of them ended in great happiness and still make me smile, but others ended in heartache and a need for more wishes. My wish for my life isn’t that my wishes come true at all, because frankly, I don’t even know what I wish for.

My life is in the hands of the Creator of time itself, and in His world, it’s 11:11 all the time if He wishes it to be. I want what he wishes, because He knows what’s best for me and He knows which shiny wishes will only hurt me.

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

His plans are a lot better than my own plans. My own plans usually just get me into trouble that leaves me asking Him for a bailout plan. My wish is His wish and my dreams are His dreams. So when my phone struck 11:11, I whispered one simple, yet powerful wish:

Your will be done.

It’s 1:12 on 11/12…y’all make a wish.

<3