Grief vs. Hope

Grief is an interesting thing.  We usually equate grieving with some sort of loss--most especially the loss of a life.  We absolutely grieve when someone we love has passed away, or even for someone we never knew, but saw so much potential in.  But there are many people, myself included, who have grieved for the loss of what once was.  Maybe it was a child who had so much promise, but ended up on drugs or wasting his or her life away in another fashion.  Maybe the marriage started out beautifully, and life, or someone's selfishness has caused all the hope for the future to be all but gone.  Sometimes it is a health issue, a financial situation, or even doubt of one's own purpose.  Grief is the same across the board.  While it is natural to grieve, prolonged grief-setting up "camp" in the valley of grief will suck the life out of you.  Loss is what it is--loss.  

So earlier, I watched a great movie, which, while I enjoyed it, reminded me of my own loss.  I couldn't help but walk away afterwards, and just weep.   But as surely as God sees and knows my heartache, He brought this scripture to my mind:

"But we were hoping that it was He Who was going to redeem Israel.  Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened."       
                                                                         Luke 24:21 NKJV

This account in scripture tells of two of Jesus followers who were traveling to the village of Emmaus three days after the Crucifixion.  This was the same day that they were told by the women, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other women about how they went to the tomb, did NOT find Jesus' body there, but instead were visited by angels who reminded them of the words Jesus had spoken to them, saying He would be crucified but rise on the third day.  As the men walked and talked,  Jesus Himself came near and went along with them, only He did not allow them to know that it was He.  Jesus began to question them about why they were having this sad conversation, to which they replied, something to the effect of, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem, that you don't know what happened here in these last few days?"  They continued to talk to Jesus, still not recognizing Who they were conversing with, explaining how they had hoped that Jesus would have been the One Who would redeem Israel. 

After all the time Jesus had spent with them prior to the day He laid down His life, and after all He had revealed to them, they were doubtful of His predictions.  Maybe they were expecting Jesus to set up His kingdom down here on earth.  But His kingdom is not of this world.  And so here I was, feeling grief because of the many losses in my life, and the one my heart hurts about the most.  The problem is that my hope-your hope cannot/should not be in our situation changing, or in our family members changing, or even in our government changing.  It must be in GOD alone.  Only He knows the deepest parts of me and how I long for lasting change in my life and circumstances.  

Don't wait for things to change to find joy and peace.  Ask yourself "what if this never changes?" What will you do if things do not change the way you'd like? Although we must have faith that God will move in our lives, our faith in our unfailing, all-knowing Father is the anchor for our lives and souls.  We serve a God Who has a unique gift of turning mourning into dancing.  I've decided, that tears or no tears, because after all, I am human, and have a lot to bear, I will dance now, because my hope is in God--and He is never unfaithful! Hallelujah!