Sure and Certain Hope

Today's news about further restrictions over Christmas has not brought out the best in me. I've ranted, and said some pretty stupid things, as well as shed tears for yet more disappointment and separation.  I regret having sooo looked forward to having a variety of gatherings (with the same 2 other households) over a 5 day period. I would have come to accept it by now if it had never been given as an option. I wonder how many stages of grief one person can exhibit in half a day?!

Seeing that some of my reaction is selfish makes me sadder. Knowing that we have soooo much to be thankful for somehow is hardly a comfort. I miss being with so many people that I love, more than I can possibly put into words. These feelings are real, and they matter. It wouldn't be healthy just to stiffen the upper lip, or rationalise it all away.

In these moments, with tears pouring down my face, I wonder how all the precious people whose lives aren't all about Jesus get by. Anything else, literally EVERYTHING else can crash down around us in a moment.

As for those who live for Jesus, as the Bible says: "if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But," it goes on, "Christ has indeed been raised from the dead..." (1 Corinthians 15:19-20) and this changes everything. No exaggeration.

Because of Jesus, we have hope beyond anything and everything, from our shattered dreams or selfish desires, to the most solid or virtuous things that we can invest our lives in.  No matter what happens, we can live IN Jesus, infused by the very life of God. I don't remotely understand how, but I have a sure and certain hope that our Creator will make everything right.

This is not for one moment a suggestion that the here and now is unimportant, or simply to be endured until we get whisked away to float in some imaginary cotton wool bliss. No, the real, bodily resurrection of Jesus says there's something worth living and giving for in every moment. And that's found, perhaps most tangibly, in spending our lives for others—here and now.

But/and how we need to know the forever hope of resurrection life and all our tears wiped away.⬦

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