Hope. Seems like such a simple word, eh? Yet, in the four letters lies an immensity of meaning and significance. It seems as if most everything in my life at this juncture centers around that word. God uses single words to teach me a lesson or to grow me in him. I guess they are my God-words or my life’s theme-words! Some other words? Belong. Beloved. Blessed. Grace. Peace. Joy. Humility. It is amazing how God speaks to me. My finite mind can only process one word at a time. Haha! And even then, I don’t seem to get it fully, and I never will. But I think that is the beauty of life. To see each day, each moment, each word as a way to be bless, be educated and be changed. And then so use each day, each moment, and each word to bless, to educate, and to change others. Oh, what a beautiful and empowering thing!

I find this word hope being woven into every aspect of my life, and it seemingly shows its face in each day. It means being able to find a glimmer of hope in someone, something, and most importantly myself, that I am worthy and am His beloved. It is finding validation and approval in the only being with a pure and perfect love: Jesus Christ. It is fully believing that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it. What a powerful promise we have from our Lord. That no matter how discouraged, unworthy, and insignificant we feel, He will finish the work that He has started in us. It so easy to let the world and others stifle that hope! But the wonderful thing is that it can and will be restored! We can have hope in Christ. And not only that, but we have the power to empower and encourage one another. As my one of my communications professor said, “To commit to pursue the highest in each of us.” Simply, we are Christ’s beloved children and creation. We are the children of the Almighty God! We have a higher calling in him and in him we have our true identity. Let’s do that for each other and remind each other that we are His beloved; we are his creation; we are His. That is so simple, yet so hard for me to get my mind around. But when I do in even the slightest degree, I am in awe.

So I heard this song today as I was writing this:

Avalon – In A Different Light
Don’t cry for me
No, I’ve never been one to shoulder the weight of the world
‘Cause I believe
This is here and it’s now, but it’s not my home
There’s a hope beyond what my eyes can see
And there’s a place that He’s preparing for me

CHORUS
Nothing’s gonna keep us here
We’ll go a different way
It’ll be all right
From the other side we’ll see it clear
On a different day
In a different light

Don’t be afraid
Of the twists and the turns of the road that we’re on, just
believe
There’ll come a day
When our faith turns to sight, and we’ll see His face
While we’re here the heartache’s hard to ignore
So for now, we’ll keep our eyes on the Lord

Though for now, we see things dimly
There’s a voice that speaks within me
Leading me to a different light
In a different way (in a different way)
In a different light

That is my prayer for me and for you…