There’s a song called “Hoping” by the X Ambassadors that feels like the theme of my life (and perhaps all of our lives) right now:
I’m falling in this great divide
The earth, it splits, and my feet on both sides
And all my faith is shaking, II got to keep on hoping (keep on hoping)
Keep on hoping (keep on hoping)
When it all feels broken
Got to keep your hope aliveI’m falling in this great divide
The earth it shifts, and I’m on the other side
And I swear the world’s going crazyBut I still keep on hoping (keep on hoping)
Keep on hoping (keep on hoping)
When it all feels broken
Got to keep my hope alive’Cause this war won’t wage itself
It’s time we tip the scales
With the weight of the world on ourselves now
And I’ve been wrong a thousand times or more
But I keep on letting onKeep on hoping
Keep on hoping
Keep on hoping
Keep on hopingGot to keep on hoping (keep on hoping)
Keep on hoping (keep on hoping)
It all feels broken
Got to keep your hope alive
Got to keep on hoping (keep on hoping)
Keep on hoping (keep on hoping)
When it all feels brokenYou know I’ll stick around, hey
Keep on hoping
In this day, the Lord has filled me with hope. Nothing circumstantially has changed- in fact the news and the weather are gloomier than ever. However, I am reminded of the goodness ahead, and that after all this we will look back and be so grateful we made it through and came out so much stronger. I am looking forward with joy and anticipation of what God has in store.
Having something to hope for and look forward to is so important, even if it’s just a warm cup of coffee and silent time with God the next morning (I always look forward to that). Especially in times like these we must hold on to hope- where fear and despair linger thick in the air and we are tempted to let them swallow us whole because fighting is too painful.
Sometimes it hurts to hope.
At the beginning of all the craziness, planning my wedding felt too painful with the future being so uncertain. Everything looked so bleak and I didn’t (and still don’t) know if our reception would have to be postponed. The thought of that was devastating. I had imagined this season of my engagement to be perfect, and a pandemic was not part of my plan leading up to the wedding.
And yet, as I have been adjusting to this new way of life, hope is starting to rise in my heart as I picture our wedding- how much more meaningful and beautiful it is going to be after we have come through this. How much more we will appreciate gathering together and celebrating; how much bigger and better the celebration will be!
So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
John 16:22
Maybe this time of sorrow now is meant to build a deeper and lasting joy in us, a joy that will be revealed at a later time, but gives us something immeasurably great to hope for. Maybe once we are allowed to gather together again and get back to “normal” life, we will see that we have been changed- that our collective suffering has shifted us from people who take things for granted to grateful and joyful people. Maybe we will see everything differently, and enjoy everything more fully. These are the things I hope for and hold onto.
We must keep looking ahead with hope- joy is coming.
rhythms of grace 