Dare to Hope

 Over the weekend, my son and I traveled to Missouri for the funeral of my daddy's last of 6 brothers. It was a nice trip and wonderful to reconnect with family. But the time out of our "norm" was really good for my head. Sometimes, it takes breaking that day-to-day grind to help see more clearly. Of course, I packed the whole house for just a one-night stay. Lol. It's a lot of work to travel with a loved one you have to provide care for - I won't deny that. But the break from the normal was still wonderful.

The 4-hour drive allowed me to gather my thoughts, get some of them lined out, and toss a few that were negative. The out-of-normal setting gave me time to assess where I am, what I'm doing, and how to proceed. However, there is a thought I've been toying with for some time, and it started taking shape during the trip. I've been trying to rearrange my mornings, so they are more productive. Finally, I started a devotional called, Command the Morning. The sub or after the title is ...and the rest of the day will follow.

While pulling some scriptures together to get started on the actual writing, I found myself in Lamentations 3. The book will start with verse 23, which says His mercies are new every morning. I plan on taking advantage of that. Lol. But as I was reading through the verses preceding and following that verse, I found myself captured by verses 19-21.  The New Living Translation (1996) says this:

The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words.

I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.

Yet I will dare to hope when I remember this...

Let me say that I don't think of my caregiving years as an awful time. I certainly cannot deny the grief. We all know it is challenging, numbing, and difficult. But we can dare to hope because we know that His mercies are refreshed for us each morning, and He will keep our souls no matter what. How can I have hope when I know pretty much what each day is going to look like? Because I will focus my attention on The Day that is coming. The day where He will wipe away our tears, our grief, our burdens, and our troubles. For today - I can hope because I know that He purposefully refreshed His mercies to carry me. This passage says it is His mercies (plural - so it covers more! lol) that keep us from complete destruction. He is faithful, so I can dare to hope in Him and His sustaining power.

Today, I will focus my thoughts on God's ability and dedication to sustaining me. I'll remind myself that He has His eye on little ole me. He is invested in my future, ordering my steps and keeping my soul. So, I can rest in Him as I hope for His fresh mercies to carry me through one more day. Will you join me?

                                                                                                                                          

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