Alliteration is fun. Having words start with the same letter can be helpful for memory’s sake. If you use Instagram with your smart phone or tablet, you may have seen friends posting older pictures. It’s fun to see younger versions of my friends. There’s Throwback Thursday and Flashback Friday. I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon sort of, by putting this particular photo both here and on Insta.
I am in this picture. If you know me, you know which one is me. If you don’t yet know me, look on my website to see a recent portrait of me and you’ll know which one is me right away. This has always been a favorite picture for me; my grandparents holding my brother and two cousins at Christmas in 1962. That’s right, 50 years ago.
That’s a flashback.
By no means would I take the time here to flash forward through all of life that has been lived; that would be a volume not a blog post! Suffice it to say, there are lots of joys and sorrows that have been lived in each of the lives represented in this photo.
At the center of it all, the girl with the big smile has hung on…to Hope.
I am happy to say that gift of Hope is one thing that has helped me, like a beacon of light for a storm tossed boat; there is a grounding, a solid place that the storms cannot destroy. My Hope.
“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness” The Solid Rock. He has been in this with me and for me even when I wasn’t in it for myself.
“I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.” People let you down. People who say they love you can hurt you, intentionally. Knowing full well they’re hurting you.
“When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace; in every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.” When terrible things happen, where do you turn?
“His oath, His covenant, His blood, support me in the whelming flood; when all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.” When the bottom falls out of life, where is your grounding?
I didn’t work at this Hope. I didn’t muscle through tough things with a dogged determination to be hopeful. It is a gift I have received from the Generous Giver of all good gifts. Even as a child when I didn’t fully understand, He was hovering and protecting me and giving me Hope.
He longs for you to receive His Gift. We have been practicing Thankfulness for a season and now it is the season of giving and receiving gifts. This is a Gift for which you can be eternally thankful! Won’t you receive the Gift of Hope today?