Hope

 It's been cloudy here a lot lately. Weird temperature fluctuations have me wondering each morning what to wear. There's been lots of rain and not one snowflake all winter. It's quite depressing. But there is a glimmer of hope. The warmer weather today means my walk won't be encumbered by a heavy hat and mittens that I don't know whether to keep on or take off. Hope works that way. 

But lately, I feel like I am clinging on to hope, sometimes it's more like clawing onto it, my fingernails clutching any glimmer of hope. Watching the news, worried about everything, seeing the clouds of smoke over Ohio that some think will just go away, I grasp for whatever lifeline is thrown my way. When I feel this way, I'm reminded that I need to let up a little because what I'm really holding onto is the fear. Part of hope is seeking it, part of hope is praying, and part of it is acting. I can do each of these things and each step gets me closer to realizing what I hope for. I can also accept God's grace which fills me with hope. 

I think the purpose of Lent is that we hold these two things in juxtaposition: fear and hope. We are sad, and we are needy. We fear the unknown, the lack that we feel. With hope, we know that we will be happy again, we know that the trials won't last forever. 

Today I hope you find what you have been hoping for. 

Here is an image from Emily Lex, a wonderful painter out of Seattle, who I follow and who sends these beautiful images for your phone wallpaper.