A Season of Hope

"For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." Romans 8:24-25

This verse has been popping up in front of me lately. Does that ever happen to you? All of a sudden the same verse keeps showing up out of the blue? When this happens to me, it usually means the verse contains a truth I need to hear. I'm sure I've read this verse hundreds of times. I mean, after all, it precedes a verse that we all know: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (verse 28).

So, although, I'm sure I've read it before, I don't think I really heard it until recently. At the stage of life I'm in now, reading this verse made me think about Christmas as a kid. I don't know about you, but Christmas was always my favorite time of year. After Thanksgiving, I could hardly stand the anticipation as I waited eagerly for Christmas. I daydreamed about the new toys I would get, wondering if I would get the things I had asked Santa to bring me. The days seemed to pass so slowly, and Christmas Eve was torturous. The excitement that led up to Christmas morning was almost more than I could bear.

But when that special day finally arrived, the anticipation was over in an instant. Now, don't get me wrong. It was always a magical day. My mom had a special way of arranging our presents under the tree with just a few presents left unwrapped. And we weren't allowed to just tear into presents like most kids. We had to sit patiently while we watched each sibling open presents from youngest to oldest. Most Christmases that one special gift was under the tree--the one I wanted more than anything else.

So, you see, it wasn't that I didn't have special Christmases. The disappointment came when I realized that the anticipation of Christmas was more exciting than the actual day. Even when I got the presents I wanted, I usually got tired of playing with them. Or the new clothes I got didn't fit. Or a toy broke after one use. I'll never forget the year my brother got a small remote control helicopter that flew somewhere around 80 feet high. It was the coolest toy ever. We all gathered around and watched as he flew it high into the sky. We could barely see it as it towered over the trees. Suddenly, it ran out of gas and plummeted to the ground. Where it landed, we'll never know. It was fun while it lasted, but it sure didn't last long. :-)

So, what's the point? I've come to realize a season of hope can be more exciting than the anticipated event awaiting on the other side. I am in a season full of hope right now. My future is wide open and a little uncertain. I have goals--lots of them! I imagine the day in December of 2011 when I will walk across the stage and receive the degree I've been working toward. I hope for a job doing something I love after graduation. I dream of the day I can buy a home again. I long to go on a mission trip to an orphanage. I even anticipate the day I can consider adopting again. If I already had everything lined up perfectly in my life, the anticipation of these things would be over...much like Christmas afternoon. God can always plant new hopes in my heart, and I fully expect that He will over the years. However, I seem to be living in a season of hope right now. A few weeks ago I looked at this in a negative light, but after reading this verse several times, I am embracing this thought! Why would I hope for something I already have? Instead of feeling sad about this season of life I'm going to have an attitude of hope as I anticipte all the wonderful things my Savior has in store for me. The sky isn't the limit...it's just the beginning. I'm ready to soar!