Hope Must Come True

 

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

This is what the ancients were commended for.”

(Hebrews 11:1-2)

 I had a chance to visit my friend in Champaign, Illinois, during my vacation. I drove 9 hours to get there and was surprised because it was already like spring there while we still had snow piles here. I saw beautiful flowers, green grasses and trees with green leaves in Champaign, Illinois. Suddenly, I said, “Wow, it is amazing, what a beautiful sight!” I forgot what spring looks like because we have had such a long winter with so much snow and huge snowbanks everywhere. I spent two days there and then returned home to the cold wintery countryside of Wisconsin. It was still cold and even lightly snowing. However, I know that spring must come soon after such a long winter. Spring will come with beautiful flowers and green leaves. We endure the cold winter with hope for spring.

Yes, now we see the lawns turning green, small weeds coming out, and birds returning. Many trees will show us their leaves as evidence of their vitality. We know they looked like they were dead, but they are embracing life. How do we know they will show their life and bloom again with leaves and flowers? Because we know it is the natural order and have seen it for many years. Who made the natural order of thing? Of course, God did. Even though we can’t see God, He still works for us.

We came through the pandemic, which looked like it would never come to an end. While we experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, we watched the tragic news unfold daily about how it was affecting the entire world. Many people died, and many countries faced economic, educational, political, and religious crises. We could see the number of people dying climb every day through the news. We closed stores, schools, public spaces, and even churches. Some people even thought the end of the world would come soon. However, we continued worshiping God through new tools like Zoom and outdoor services. We prayed for an end to the pandemic hoping for a new world. And then, finally, we now face a new normal era, which is a more popular media era. The crisis was not only overcome by our prayers and efforts, but also brought a new creative way to live. So, the pandemic took many lives, but led us to new medical technologies and a new media era.

Likewise, we know we can overcome, despite facing life threatening situations, through our experiences. Our ancestors did so. They knew the truth of God, which is God never gives up on us and loves us through our experiences. They believed and confessed their faith: “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Even though we can’t see it, as long as we don’t give it up, the hope must come true because God never gives up on us. A life crisis sometimes comes to us much like a puzzle, to be completed in order to see our beautiful life in God’s big picture.

A few days ago, a friend called me to discuss her something she was worried about. She was struggling to accept God’s calling as an ordained minister. She is a good wife and a mother of two daughters.  She said, “My age is at fifty. Now, how can I go to my second stage of life?” I said, “Well, God who called you may guide you. He may have a plan for you. Just follow him. Faith is trusting in God, who you can’t see. Just trust in Him, not in yourself.” I am excited to see how God works for her. I expect to see God’s wondrous works daily through people worldwide. Even though we can’t see God, we may see His dramatic works. Faith is to know that hope must come true as long as we don’t give it up. Let’s expect how beautifully God makes the spring, and enjoy it!

 

Blessings!

Pastor Jenny

Posted in From The Pastors