We have all had those moments when in spite of our best efforts, things don't go as planned. When life seems out of control. When we're not sure what lies ahead, but we're tempted to fear the worst instead of expecting the best. And not just in our own lives. But this is not a new thing, and we have real reason for hope. As Paul wrote to the Romans:

"All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance...

 Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." (from Eugene Peterson's "the Message")