Hope

When I was 10 my sister Rebekkah went into the hospital with a collapsed lung and a strep infection that threatened every organ in her body. Less than 12 hours after admitting her, they called my parents in and prepared them for her death.
At home I was making party hats for the party to welcome Rebekkah home. My sister Sarah came in and was befuddled by what I was doing. "It's going to be months if that before she comes home. Why are you making these now?" I don't remember what I answered her. But I remember keeping on making the hats.
Praise God that despite what a lot of doctors told my parents, we got to use those party hats one month later. She came home and recovered well.
Now as I think about those hats 18 years later, I thank God for the gift of hope. A gift that looks rediculous to outsiders. You do crazy things when you are guided by a hope in God. Things that look as silly as making party hats before you know if the party will happen.
But our God is a God of crazy hope. Hope that one day there will be a world without pain. Hope that God will be true to His promises. Hope that the future God has planned will outweigh the pain of the past.
Let those words sink into your soul.
Now what can you do to live out hope? You have been given the gift of hope beyond yourself. Use it today. Start that project. Sing that song with gusto. Dream about a bright future. Walk in the hope that has been given.
Don't be afraid to look funny. Step out and do something expressing hope. Watch and see how it grows your faith.

Tangible

Last night I was crying. I could hardly put into words what was bothering me. It seemed like a bunch of scattered pieces and I couldn't make sense of it. 

As I was falling asleep my brain got stuck on the word tangible. At the heart of the struggle was that God doesn't seem as tangible as the things on this earth. It's hard sometimes to feel His embrace and know His voice. 

Honestly I've been missing tangible hugs from a boyfriend, having conversations, texting, and more. I miss the tangible. 

But just because God doesn't seem as tangible doesn't make Him any less real. In reality, He is alive in me. He fights for me and protects me. He sanctifies me and restores me. That is as real as the tablet I'm using to write this. That is the reality that I get to live in and enjoy.

Still there are times my heart longs for more. For tangible things that I can hold. 

There's two stories in the Bible that contrast how people chose to deal with their longing for the tangible. 

The Israelites were at the foot of Mount Sinai. Moses had been up on the mountain for days. They got tired of waiting. They long for the promise to be fulfilled. They longed for the tangible. So they had Aaron make them an idol. It was tangible and they used it to have some sinful fun, but in the end they had to drink in the bitterness of their sin. 

Then there's Joseph. He had a dream and a pretty good life under Potiphar. Even though he was a slave he was the highest one in the house. Then the masters wife decided that Joseph could serve her sinful desires. Joseph had the opportunity to have something tangible to enjoy, but He chose to stand firm in God. For years he paid the price for her sin. But when he did rise to power, he still had purity and trust in God. 

In this Joseph modeled a way for us to wait for the tangible. It may not be easy or fun. There will be times with tears and pain, but in the end God gives us the best gifts. Not only the gift of Himself, but also a tangible life better than the one we could have planned for ourselves. 

Oh my soul, the next time you are tempted to grab for the tangible outside of God's timing, stand firm. Cling to Gods promises and stand firm. Remember who God is and all He has done for you and stand firm. Remember that the pain of this moment won't be forever, stand firm. Remember all that He has given you and stand firm. Remember His love and faithfulness and stand firm.