A few years ago, when on a mission trip to New Orleans, I had gone back to the van to get a few supplies. A man walked by and asked what we were doing. Being a white guy in the middle of a black area may not have been an uncommon sight for him, but it did spark his curiosity. He must have been 30 years older than me and I am sure he had many stories to tell. For some reason, I know it was a God thing now, because this is a strong memory that I have of this moment – my response came to me so fast I didn’t have time to think…it just came out. What ARE we doing here? My response: “We are giving the children hope.”
He was still walking away after he asked the question. When I answered he stopped! Slowly turned around and looked at me and slowly said, “Hope!? That’s a powerful word!” As he turned around to walk away, all I could say was “Amen!”
Hope can bring different reactions to us depending on where we are in our life. Today, I was reading my devotion from Romans 5. Verses 1-5 brought back this memory in a powerful way. First century Christians suffered a lot! The Bible tells us what our future holds (what will become), but until then – we must overcome! Our difficulties can help us grow. “…rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; character, hope.”
Faith, Hope and Love… faith helps us to see God as a compassionate, holy father. Hope grows with us as we learn more about a “new way”. God’s love works in and through us to reach out to others… Hope will not disappoint us if we have the joy of the love of God in our hearts – like the early Christians.
They shared love and compassion to their Roman captors and over time, they (Rome) realized a new way of living. Rome became a Christian state!
