JOE ROVANI Laramie

Room 2012

On the day before New Year’s Eve, we visited a nearby city and checked into our hotel. We used an electronic kiosk because the lines at the front desk were unusually long and crowded. The kiosk asked us for our room preference on either a low floor, middle floor, or upper floor. We chose upper floor and as the kiosk printed out our key cards, a front desk attendant came over and told us that our room was on the 20^th floor. We went straight to the elevator, got off at the 20^th floor, but it was only then that we checked the folder for our room number. Room 2012…pretty easy to remember for a stay on New Year’s Eve.

About 10 pm that night, a group of people in the hall outside of Room 2012 started singing Amazing Grace…but another significant event happened later that night. I awoke with the Lord revealing what 2012 holds in store for four people. And although four specific persons were shown to me, I now understand that they also represent four types of believers, and perhaps even four types of churches.

Believer #1 is an immature believer who has not yet fully committed their life to the Lord. In the movie “Top Gun”, there is a moment when a troubled Maverick goes to the Top Gun instructor’s home in search of advice. The instructor walks up behind him and says (paraphrasing): I flew with your old man. You are a lot like him. Only better. And worse. Maverick then asks what his options are: Simple. You can graduate. Or you can quit. You probably know the rest of the story, but Maverick struggles with his generational identity, faces his fears, and becomes more of a team player. But his decisions were not easy, and his destiny hung in the balance.

Believer #2 is a more mature believer who is not quite as beset by their emotions as Believer #1. This person is steady as she goes, and mostly has their life led by Godly inspiration and influence. However, some changes are in store this year; some of them are unexpected. During these times, Believer #2’s allegiance to Christ will be tested.

Believer #3 has grown extensively in their walk and has experienced many trials, even persecutions. This believer is battle-tested and has learned to be an overcomer. However, the seemingly endless battles have made this person generally reserved and untrusting, and perhaps too independent. The word for this person is, it is in humility, and in relying on others, that God’s unity in the body and kingdom expansion will happen this year.

Believer #4 was shown to me as a person who was swinging joyfully like a child, high in the rafters of a room that had no ceiling. It is as if “old ceilings have become new floors”, except the ceiling of Room 2012 doesn’t exist. This person is unconstrained by former limitations and has risen to a higher level, as though the bounds of gravity had been broken.