We’ve thought a lot about “hope” this year, haven’t we? We know we ought to place our hope in Christ alone and not in other people, not in preferable circumstances, and not even in the changed behavior of loved ones. But what does that look like in 2019? We look at Bible people like John the Baptist and Mary, and we clearly see their unwavering hope in Christ in the midst of disappointment, devastation, and even death. But I wonder, and maybe you do too, if these folks had it just a wee bit … [Read more...]
What was in Mary’s Heart on that Skull-shaped Hill?
For those who’ve grown up in church, the Easter story is a familiar one. So familiar are the words hope and doubt, death and resurrection, that the true meaning of them lose their splendor. Sometimes their familiarity in our Easter vocabulary even breeds a heart-level boredom. So, when I was cruising through the Easter story a few years ago, I was shocked to find a verse I’d never noticed. Surely I’d read it before. At the very least I’d heard it. But I had certainly never stopped to consider … [Read more...]
The Remedy for Disappointment
It wasn’t the worst place for a baby to sleep, but I didn’t like the thought of putting a baby in a laundry basket. For a newborn it would be safe and portable, but I felt ashamed. Our second son was born ten weeks premature. A job change, a move, and his premature birth had drained our bank account. Our first son, just 14 months old at the time, was still in the crib and a new bed for him was not in the budget. We’d been financially responsible, made the wisest decisions we could, but … [Read more...]
When Uncertainty Rattles Your Hope
{Photo by Martha Dominguez de Gouveia on Unsplash} It was an expensive, last-minute hotel reservation we didn’t want to make. It came with a seven-hour drive and a complimentary shuttle to the Mayo Clinic. With the help of a clinic scheduler and family members, my husband and I left our three sons with family, promised to get them home for their first day of the new school year, and scurried off to Rochester, Minnesota to get some answers. When my hope got rattled by uncertainty, I … [Read more...]
Is Hope Steadfast or Slippery?
Please enjoy this excerpt from the introduction of Remarkable Hope: When Jesus Revived Hope in Disappointed People. Steadfast Hope Hope. We use the word every day. I hope it doesn’t rain. I hope you feel better. I hope I get to sleep in. With the best intentions, we cast pleasant desires for ourselves and our friends into the air to vanish. We mean well, but we have precious little control over actual outcomes. I hope it doesn’t rain. (But there are … [Read more...]
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