A journey of hope...

It’s only fitting that for my first blog that I explain my thinking behind the title of my blog, so here goes….

I have been thinking a lot about life being journey and that God leads us each down different paths of this journey. When I think of a journey, I think of more than just a trip. I think of moving toward a specific destination with different stops along the way, I think of obstacle to be overcome, I think of an end goal, I think of life…a journey to become all that God created us to be. As I look back over my life, I am amazed at the journey that God has lead me down so far and I am humbled by the people that he has put into my life to help guide me. Someone recently used the example of life being a train that we get on and off of at different stops throughout our lives. My journey is going through Tanzania right now, but it will soon be time for me to get back on the train and head to the next place God has prepared for me. I don’t know where else God wants to take me, but I know that I am excited to continue living the journey…every step of the way.

Not only is life a journey, but it is a journey of hope. I listened to a sermon by Donald Miller the other day called “Our hope in the future glory of God” and he talked about the hope that we as Christians have and how this changes our lives. It really made me think about the things that we try to put our hope in and that the only true thing to hope in is Christ. Donald Miller said that God offers us everything that we need and all we need to do is believe and put our hope in this promise. I was asked by some of my girls the other day how I continue to live with the pain in my back and the only answer that I could give them is that I have hope in God and trust that his will is perfect. I have hope that all God’s promises are true and because of this hope I will not be shaken. So this life we have all been blessed with is a journey and it is a journey of hope as we believe in God’s promise and rejoice in his future glory.

Finally this journey is God’s story in and through my life. The whole Bible is God’s redemptive story for us. Our lives are just a small part in a larger story, a story that is not about us, but about God to bring Him glory. My life is a specially designed part of God’s story in the world and the part that I am playing is really God’s story in and through me. I desire that my life be a reflection of God and that the things I do bring Him glory. I challenge you to have courage to boldly write the story that God has given you.

So there you have it…My life is a journey, a journey that is full of hope in God’s promises, a journey that gives me freedom to live out God’s story in and through my life. I look forward to the journey of hope that God will lead me down in the coming months and I am grateful for you who have walked and will continue to walk this journey with me

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have HOPE:
Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. The Lord is good to those whose HOPE is in him; to the one who seeks him. Lamentations 3:21-23, 25

May the God of all HOPE fill you with all joy and peace so that as you trust him you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:13