... Hope... a reality...

.....rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him....He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to Him who judges justly.....


DirvorceCare was rather depressing yesterday...anger was the topic... somehow the hope we have was not communicated well enough...I get that we need to allow the anger and not try to fix each other with scriptures... but, where is the hope when we don't do that?
Allow people their feelings... yes, and definitely every one has to process them in their own time...


But... as Christians we are called to a higher standard, and not only that, we HAVE a much  "higher" hope... we have the only hope... and we have an example.. Christ Himself... He was accused, abused and killed, He never retaliated... and He interceded for His abusers and killers before He breathed His last breath...


With Him in us, we too CAN do this, once we decide to let go He is the one who will work it out in us and through us...if we do not look to Him we are stuck in our circumstances and I agree, that's a horrible place at times, hopeless and bleak, dark and cold..


But this is the point, this is not the reality of a Christian.... no matter the circumstances we have the peace that passes all understanding at our fingertips.. we just need to take hold of it, and I can say this... it  never leaves me for much longer than a few hours...as much as I appreciate that I am loved even if I continue to struggle and that I do not have to "perform" for the Lord.. that He has compassion for me and allows me to experience the pain and all the feelings attached ( and yes this does include anger ) His love and comfort are always leading me out of it to the place where I can let go, have to let go... forgiveness is the key... humility, surrender and gratitude for what Christ has done. 


It just left me feeling weird... last night... it all sounded as if there was no hope.... but there is... even if the circumstances are dire and don't seem to be changing.... He is our Hope... and He is all we need...the Hope is in Him, not in our circumstances changing for the better... if this is not helping us then what is our faith anyways??? 


I am thankful that the Lord has had me on this road of seeing myself for who I am, my brokenness and my sinfulness..I know I have no "right" to happiness... I am rejoicing in the fact that He chose me and I am precious to Him, even if rejected by men...


It is all by grace, the undeserved gift He keeps on giving to me.... and all I desire is to thank Him for that by living my life authentically before Him and the world and share Him with those around me...