Pockets of Hope
A few weeks ago I was flying on an airplane from here to there. The weather was bad and visibility was nil. You could look out the window and see nothing but a layer of dark, gray clouds. However, every once in a while there was a little hole, a pocket in which to view the earth below. Under that dark canopy were homes, cars bustling down empty roads, people who were hurting, rejoicing, with and without hope.
It made me think of being on the other side of that cloud cover. Often I have stood under dark, gray clouds and looked up to see a little pocket of sunshine coming through the sky. Sometimes the rays have been so amazing I often have felt Christ could come right then through that ray of sunshine. I have stood there, looking upward on those gray days and felt the warmth stream down through those little pockets of sunshine and shine upon my face. Something happens inside of me. My hope is restored.
I have focused on my surroundings so often, that it is hard to lift my head. However, I have a mighty God who sits enthroned up there where the sun shines. He looks down below and sees and knows our state of mind and the condition of our spirits. That is why He gives us little pockets of hope, rays of sunshine that shine down upon us in our darkest moments. They encourage us to take a deep breath and focus above and know that He is still God and He is still in control. The little pockets of sunshine encourage us to keep going.
It’s not hard to look around and see chaos. We search within and find despair. God looks around and sees a plan. He searches within us and finds a wounded and weary spirit. We look up and see clouds that hide a clear view of who God is. We look up and fear the storms that are coming. He looks past and sees the rainbow He’s about to stretch across the sky. We see the now – He sees tomorrow.
It can be difficult to find the hope in the hard times. It can be hard to find sunshine in the storms. But, as winds of broken dreams and the rains of helplessness beat against us and wear us down, that’s when He does it.
He reaches down and gently parts the gray skies, sending a brilliant ray of light that spreads over the chaos around us. A ray of light that is captivating – luring even – as we stand there and soak up the warmth He is pouring down upon us.
He gives us pockets of hope. Amazing hope that builds up our faltering faith. A faith that gives us the strength to press on through the storms of this life.
That is my ministry of writing – to show you that there are pockets of hope for those who are weary, for those who are hurting. To offer a little something that might make you smile – laugh even – as you journey through life. A little story for a little child, a tribute to a grand grandmother, a hug on a page for a friend.
God has given me countless little pockets of hope on the darkest of days and I have learned to look for them in the hard times. They are there. I have seen them. The trick is to look for the light and not to focus on the dark clouds hanging overhead.
Lift your face from despair and look up – up to Him – and He will give you little pockets of hope – hope that will break through on even the darkest of days.
That’s a promise.
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