Bread For The Journey

What is faith?  It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us even though we cannot see it up ahead.(TLB) Hebrew 11:1

What is is that this world is looking for?  HOPE!

The definition of Hope: a feeling of expectation and desire of something to happen.
This past winter I was dealing with some injuries and was gifted a plaque with the words HOPE. 
This plaque sits on my window sill, reflecting the words inside and outside and people driving up on my driveway could see the word clearly as it was spelled backwards.
There is not a day that I pass this sign thinking of what HOPE really means.   Over the past few months, I have reflected on a running tab of conversations with family and friends that always end with the phrase...
 "And we are hoping for...." 

• Restored relationships of those who have abandoned marriages
• Recovery from on-going health issues....Cancer shingles surgery alzheimer dementia
•  Renewed strength to support aging parents making transitions to assisted living.
• Healthy pregnancies and healthy new-borns.
• That God will find favor in business, job searches and benefit packages.
• Safety for our adult children serving in ministry overseas.
• For confidence and integrity when purchasing/selling homes.
• For complete recovery for a loved one on life support.
• A stable government
• Freedom, a world without war and famine.
• Salvation for our kids and grandkids and extended families.

 I love watching the women's soccer matches and HOPE is not hoping that the Canadian Women's Soccer Team wins the world cup. Hope is not based on emotions, feelings and wishful thinking.  Biblical hope is more than wishing for something to happen. It is a hope that is like faith, a faith that cannot be moved by circumstances or what the eye sees, because an unseen God is seen in His faithfulness. A believer confessing true faith has the solid, concrete evidence because it is grounded on God's word.
Over the years I have discovered that it's not always about me making all these personal requests to God, but understanding that when things don't go as expected I can ask God, "What can I learn?" rather than thinking "why me?"  Learning that  is a sweet reality, and learning to deal with the issues,  gives much more HOPE than "Why Me?"
This does not say that life is going to be easy, but it is one more way to find a perspective in which God can allow something to happen in our lives that we may not understand.  This allows us to cultivate new habits that move us along so that we can become more 'growth focused' in our lifestyle. It's about moving beyond and looking ahead to see how God can teach us through our daily challenges. Let's continue to ask God to transform our hearts and allow us to experience the power and freedom of true HOPE!

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