As many of you are aware, my husband and I live in a house with three human children, two cats, and a dog- who are all beyond busy coming and going day after day. Winter is ending and like every other homemaker I was looking to refresh my house with less “let it snow” to "welcome spring" decor. By my sink, I keep my Pinterest-ready three-tiered tray full of fun seasonal quotes and trendy succulents. Years ago, I purchased three decorative words: "Faith", "Hope", and "Love" to adorn my kitchen tray. One morning I was washing my hands and looked at my decor and noticed “hope” was missing. This set in motion the most frustrating search for my missing “hope”. I scoured all the normal decor places; then frustratingly moved to the more obscure ones. I interrogated all my humans, and even the animals didn’t go without an accusation. I looked in the trash thinking it was broken and possibly tossed to hide the incriminating evidence. Facing defeat, I looked it up online to rebuy my "hope" as my duo of "faith" and "love" just wasn’t right without "hope"! To my annoyance, “hope” couldn’t even be purchased. I couldn’t find my "Hope” and was forced to continue my day “hopeless”.

Day after day, I looked at the “hopeless” tray in disgruntled annoyance. This drew out in me all the frustrations and daily defeats I wrestled with sinking me lower into a hopeless state! While cleaning, I moved the infamous tray creating a different perspective - and there was my "hope"! It was there the whole time!! I was shocked. For whatever reason for days, I was blinded to the sliver of the "H" peaking through in the back. My "hope" was never lost, misplaced, stolen, broken, or discarded. My “hope” didn't need to be replaced. I sat there thinking of all the spiritual applications to this.

This past year has posed some extreme personal challenges that sometimes left me feeling hopeless. As a Christian, I had the knowledge that I’m not truly hopeless because of my salvation in the Lord. However, some situations left me feeling emotionally hopeless. I struggled with this disconnect between my mind and heart. Trying to sort the knowledge of God's promises and truths with the reality of my current situations, emotions, and perspective. Then it hit me. Just like the missing "hope" decor that wasn’t really missing. I just couldn’t see it from my perspective. Hebrews 20:33 says to hold fast to our hope because the one we placed our hope in is reliable! God's hope for me was never missing. It was clouded with all the obstacles I chose to focus on. Sometimes God won’t reveal His whole plan to me. It might get confusing and cluttered, but God will never leave me. I might not see Him, but He is there! And that, my sweet friends, is all the Hope I need.

Psalm 62:5-6
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and salvation, my fortress I shall not be shaken.