Surprised by Hope

She called me to ask if I had any idea why the church had sent them a check with the words “love gift” in the reference.

I informed her that someone must have had it on their heart to give them some money and did so through the church to remain anonymous.

She began to weep.

“You have no idea what this means.”

My friend had been carrying around a significant amount of stress. How will we pay the medical bills for our son? Will we need to move somewhere else? Away from our community just to live more affordably?

“I feel so loved,” she continued to say.

Loved by the Body.

Loved by the God who sees her.

It seems that “El Roi,” the God who sees, knows just the tipping point that meets us at our threshold. It is there where He surprises us by big hope.

But what about small hope? In the celebration of the big hopes, we often forget the small hopes.

He came home today after the huge fight we had.

She slept through the night.

We paid the rent… again.

The word hope is an indication of waiting.

It’s a waiting for our prayers to be answered.

For light to shine into the dark night of the soul.

It breathes the anticipation of the not yet but the soon to come.

Hope gives us confidence in the future.

Where have you been surprised by hope?

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. ~ Romans 15:13

By Suzie Lind, Hemmed In