just hope

Hope seems to be a theme in my life the past few months. I think some of it has to do with 3 months of waiting and praying and HOPING on my Mom's behalf; hoping that she would get better. In the long run – and from an eternal perspective - BOY DID SHE GET BETTER!
The Lord continues to feed this theme through some of the reading I'm doing lately. Reading from Michael Card's book "The Hidden Face of God" I was encouraged and challenged at the same time (that happens so often). He shares Paul's words from Romans 5:3&4:
"We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope."
There it is - HOPE!
Card says "The chain begins with suffering... The chain ends in hope - not a solution to suffering, not a fix or a cure, not even a promise of the end of suffering, just hope."

JUST HOPE!

Paul finishes his Romans 5 paragraph in verse 5 with these amazing words:
"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

I, for one, am not disappointed!