Hope Has Helped Me Cope
Good morning, Kids.
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been almost five years since we lost Mimi & Pa, and oh, how my life changed five years ago. But, thanks to them, I survived because of a solid foundation of hope that has helped me to cope.
I’m thinking about them, because 57 years ago today their lives changed quite dramatically too. They gave birth to their second son, just 14 months after giving birth to their first son. And, yes, their second son was me. It seems most appropriate to visit them on my birthday to thank them for taking care of me, both physically & spiritually, for all of those years.
Speaking of hope, I focused on that theme by reading the eighth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans when I was asked to deliver the extended scripture reading again. You may remember the first time, when I focused on a theme of faith by reading Hebrews 11.
Paul provided so much hope to the Christians in Rome, when he wrote these excerpts, “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Mimi & Pa hoped in God, and they taught me to hope in God, and I’m teaching you. It’s because of this solid foundation of hope that we will cope in this life and see them again in the next life.
Have a great day!
Dad
There are so many wonderful songs about hope. Here are a few of my favorites.
To hope in God is to wait on God.
Check it out, “I Will Wait For You (Psalm 130),” by Shane & Shane:
Check it out, “Christ Our Hope in Life and Death,” by Matt Papa with Keith & Kristyn Getty:
Check it out, “In Christ Alone (my hope is found),” one of my favorite hymns:
Check it out, “My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less,” one of the classics:
At a very young age, I learned in Bible class the familiar song about building a foundation of hope in God. It’s kind of a children’s version of the hymn above. Check it out, “The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock”:
