Hope

Last week I told my community group about something that until then I’d kept to myself. We were discussing the first Advent theme, hope, and I told about the physical phenomenon that gives me a disproportionate amount of hope. When there are dozens or sometimes hundreds of birds on a wire or in a tree, and they all suddenly lift off together, it takes my breath away. My heart feels like it actually rises in my chest, and I am filled with hope when I see all of those birds magically (or at least it seems that way to me) lift off together, unified in their movement forward and up. I believe that God lets me see this physical symbol of hope when I need it most.

It has been a rough couple of months, and while I am so thankful for what God is doing through these trials, I have honestly had some pretty extended periods without hope. I have not dipped into despair, but I have flatlined and felt worn down, pushing onward with the worst of goals- that of “just making it through”. 

Today, I took a day off from work to deal with some family issues and catch up on my side business, and I’ve been working in the sunroom off my bedroom. I looked out the huge window just now and saw amongst the almost bare branches, against the dreary sky, the birds.

Then, all of a sudden, they lifted off the wires and branches. All together, they flew up and out, towards their next destination. My heart rose and the Lord gave me hope. He also reminded me that this is the season for migration. In the coming days there will be many many flocks of birds moving south together with magnificent, synchronized lift-offs, flights, and landings. This is the season for much hope.

I love the physical manifestations of hope, but even more than that I love the One who gives them. I write this as a reminder to myself, knowing that my heart WILL wander and place its hope in circumstances or things or people, but also knowing that He WILL bring me back to Him. Every. single. time.

So I will look with hope this season, at the One who saved me. I will look to Him with hope about my future, trusting that He has better ideas for it than my mind could ever imagine. I will look to Him with hope, because He is the only one worthy to be the object of it. 

This is the season for much hope.