Living Life, Inviting Hope
Living Life, Inviting Hope
“I saw the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand I will not be shaken.Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope.”
– Acts 2:25b-26
What does it mean to rest in hope, or, as some translations state this passage, to live in hope? And how do we do this especially when the world around us feels so hopeless?
Hopelessness can be so overwhelming. This week I have been thinking about what it means to have hope, to invite hope into our lives. For me, one way I find to cling to hope is through remembering the presence of God in my life. I try to look to things I can be grateful for, no matter how big or small, which reminds me of God with me.
In the early morning hours when I sit in my living room armchair with a fresh cup of coffee, still blinking the sleep out of my eyes, I feel my feet on the ground or the weight of my legs resting on the ottoman. As I sink into the chair in a moment of solitude, I am reminded that I’m alive. I give thanks to God for letting me see another day and then get busy with the tasks of the day.
Lately, the beauty of nature has really helped to feel grounded in God’s presence always with me. Spring blooms and cheerful birds outside my window, singing their songs to God remind me that a creator who crafted the wings and beaks on each little bird, who shaped each petal of the lovely tulip, created me and cares for me; is always with me. I decided this week to start another practice of inviting hope and the presence of God into my life: lighting a candle as I start my morning prayers of gratitude.
As we do in the chapel when we light the altar candles, welcoming the presence of God among us, even at home I need reminders of the presence of God with me. In all that we are going through, let’s pause for a few minutes each day to rest in hope; to invite the presence of God to surround us, tuning our hearts to little mercies in a time of great chaos.
Prayer
Holy God, we are living in a time of great fear. Help us to look for your presence among us. Let us not be shaken, but filled with hope. Remind us that when we pray, when we grieve, when we rejoice; you are always with us. With grateful hearts, turned toward hope, we lift this prayer through Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
Sara Robb-Scott is the Pastor for Senior Adults and Pastoral Care at First Baptist Decatur. You can follow her on Twitter or read more of her writings on her blog.