From the Heart
“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices”
Oh, how weary is my world. The pandemic has taken its toll on even the joy down in my heart. The death of my mother added salt and vinegar upon my bruised and tender heart.
The world needs hope. I need hope. How do I find hope in the midst of a bleak midwinter? How do I find hope in the trenches of my grief?
Hope gives me a reason to believe that something good is about to happen.
Seek and ye shall find. I read that in the scriptures. I struggle with the energy to seek.
But then …
I hear the voice of my 21-month-old great-grandson, Jason. “GaGa, wuv you.” My heart melts. Joy begins to stir. I heard the voice of hope.
The day after my mother’s funeral, we drove to Tampa. 17 hours. I kept thinking of all the things that would need to be done before Christmas, just three days away. The thought of putting up a tree and decorating just overwhelmed my mind.
But … when we walked inside the house, I saw that Santa’s elves had already put up the tree and decorated the house. My weary heart wanted to sing the Hallelujah Chorus.
Those elves were my bonus grandchildren, Emma and Will. They wanted to help. As I looked at the beautifully decorated tree. I saw their kindness and … I saw hope.
A few days after Christmas, I was sitting on the lanai, drinking my coffee and talking on the phone with my friend, Linda. All of sudden I interrupted her and said, “Oh my goodness, there is a Redbird!” It had flown and landed on the fence. It sat there for a few minutes, looking at me, before flying away.
There went my heart again, singing the Hallelujah Chorus. I knew, I just knew, it was a visitor from heaven. And … it was a sign of hope.
I was seeking and I was finding … hope.
I have been reading scriptures in the book of Lamentations in the Old Testament of the Bible. It is a book about deep sorrow.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him.” Lamentations 3:22-25
What I have found is that hope doesn’t arrive with the sound of a trumpet. Hope is in the quiet voice of a toddler, telling his GaGa that she is loved.
Hope doesn’t come with a spotlight. It is seen in the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree, telling me that I am one loved bonus grandmother.
Hope is in the sighting of a Redbird that for years has become a sign of hope for our family. A very gentle reminder of God faithfulness.
Oh hope, you are there.
I am struggling with weariness and sadness. Yet, in the midst of my grief and all that comes with it, I am still choosing to seek and find hope. And who knows, I may even hear the Hallelujah Chorus.