The Gift of Hope

  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

  “Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” Luke 10:9

  I had an epiphany yesterday during the teaching section of yesterday’s church service.

  Being healed isn’t the same as having all the bad stuff go away. Being healed is being able to move forward through life in all its fullness despite our challenges. Life in its fullness contains memories, hopes and dreams, emotions, knowledge, community, relationships and experiences… (Smile.) There is more to life than this but I have limited time this morning to write a list that would take a lifetime to compile. (Chuckle. Sometimes I end up way over my head.)

  The other day, I had been speaking with a friend about the yin and yang symbol…the one that looks like two commas intertwined. One is white, the other black. It’s rather restrictive to categorize the different aspects of life into either good or bad, white or black. However, if you spin the symbol really fast, it blurs into gray. It is transformed into something far beyond the sum total of its parts.

  It helps me re frame the idea that difficulties are out and out bad. Sure they stink. And oh, yes, it can be extremely unpleasant to be in the midst of them!

  I ended up missing even more of the teaching because then I pondered on the idea that Jesus bore the scars of His crucifixion even though He was brought back to life through the resurrection. The scars on His hands and feet were necessary for Him to become something much more for us. The scars never stopped Him being the Son of God.

  Poor Thomas, I think he gets the short end of the stick for needing to place his hand in the wound on Jesus’ side before he would believe that Christ had returned. But the scar was there wasn’t it?

  I’ve heard the idea of living a “resurrection life” many times but didn’t understand what that meant until now.

  It means embracing the idea that I am far more than the sum total of my experiences. It means letting go of the idea that somehow I am less than because I am broken. God spins out of this brokenness not just gray, but silver! Through Christ, I am more, much more because I am His child. Nothing will ever change that.

 

  I say this often, how grateful I am for all the ugly experiences and hard times because God can use and has used every single one of them. The scars are there for others to poke and prod in order to find belonging and grace and acceptance. My role as a peer support worker wouldn’t exist without them. The ability to hear other people’s stories without judgment wouldn’t exist either…that’s a gift I am incredibly grateful for.

  So, maybe that’s how I am able to declare I am living a healed, resurrection life: through gratitude.

  It’s where joy, peace and hope are born.

  Ah, yes. Hope.

  I know that sometimes hope is as elusive as smoke. I also know, in being a follower of Jesus, it’s very easy to beat ourselves up when we have no hope; when our own Black Rivers are running deep and cold and fast. So here’s what I will do…I believe in the power of hope held in trust. I will guard your hope and keep it safe until you are ready to hold on to it for yourself. Be assured, that day will come.

  Thank You, Jesus.