Hope Changes Everything

Hope is a word that changes everything.  The book of 1 Corinthians even tells us “Now these three remain, faith, HOPE, and love…”.  It was a word that was on my mind a lot this weekend, so I was sure it was no coincidence that when we got to church on Sunday morning, HOPE was the word that was discussed as both the communion meditation and as a focal point of (A)’s sermon.  HOPE… somehow it changes everything.

On Saturday evening, I was working in the kitchen prepping food for the Sunday lunch we were hosting while at the same time supervising (a) as he dyed eggs. (Side note… I would NOT recommend multitasking while your 3-year-old is using dye and breakable poultry products-even hard boiled ones… that led to a phone call home to my momma to ask for advice to how to solve two minor disasters…) 

As I cleaned up both messes (his and mine) I thought about how we were approaching the next day with so much anticipation.  I was looking forward to all the work that had been put into preparing Sunday morning services, I was excited to have our friends over for lunch, and reflecting at the same time on how much fun (a) had enjoyed that afternoon at our church egg hunt and festivities.  

And as I thought about my excitement, I couldn’t help but reflect on how incredibly different my feelings were than what it must have felt like 2,000 years ago.  On Saturday, I was full of joy and anticipation for what we would celebrate on Sunday morning.  I was filled with HOPE because we know the reality of a risen Savior.  I can’t begin to imagine what it must have felt like on that Saturday night before the women found the empty tomb.  The brokenness, grief, and defeat that was felt by Jesus’ followers must have been overwhelming.  This was not the way they thought things were going to turn out.  Where would they go now?  What would they do? 

As I worked in the kitchen that evening, the verse from 1 Thessalonians 4 kept running through my head “…. that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”  My feelings approaching Sunday morning were VASTLY different than those women must have been felt as they collected their spices to be ready for Sunday morning.  They were filled with grief, preparing to visit a broken body.  I was filled with HOPE, preparing to celebrate a resurrected Lord. 

Yesterday was April 22- that marked an anniversary for our family.  One year ago, on April 22^nd, (A) was officially offered and accepted the position as Senior Minister at CSCC.  It was the ending of a very difficult and faith-filled journey to find the right new ministry for our family, and was the beginning of another difficult and faith-filled journey to walk away from everything we knew and loved and start our lives all over in Southern Illinois. 

We snapped this picture April 22, 2018 after our "celebration" lunch.  It was official and we were filled with hope.

But the beginning of that second journey was very different than the first, because of one word… HOPE.  On September 8, 2017 the journey to our new ministry began with heartbreak, grief, questions, frustration, and hopelessness.  On April 22, 2018 the journey to a new life began with hope for the future, hope for what could be accomplished for God’s glory, hope that we would someday feel like “ourselves” again.  While it certainly hasn’t been an easy journey at all, and it has been marked with grief frequently, we did not grieve as those who have no hope, because HOPE was covering this journey. 

Thank you, Lord for your living hope… it changes everything.

“May the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13