small hope

A couple of months ago, or so, our Pastor reminded us in a homily that Jesus hung on the cross for three hours. Not forever. And to remember, that He rose.

Suffering can feel like forever, though, can't it?

Three hours, though.

And then He rose.

Although working in ministry puts an enormous target on your back for all sorts of spiritual warfare, what it does even better, is it opens your eyes to the stories all around you. And this does not help me endure my own sufferings, because misery loves company....but rather, it helps repair the broken foundation of hope, that I fear I am walking on. Because it reminds me that we do not walk alone. It pulls me into a space of encouragement, knowing, it is not just me against this mountain of distress. It calls my attention to hope. Because without hope, what is there?

More than half the battle for each of us, is holding onto this hope. Believing in what we can not see, as if it is slapping us hard in the face. Our hope should increase in leaps and bounds when we are faced with trials, but how many of us run the other way? How many of us pray it away, when what we ought to do, is be still, take the cup we have been offered, and help hold the cup in the hands of our neighbor. This is how we can be hope, even when we feel we have none of our own. And we need to be hope to each other, especially, when we least feel like it. And this does not have to be some huge gesture. It can be as simple as a smile at a passerby, when you feel like crying. It can be as small as 1 extra minute of prayer today, when in your heart, you'd rather ignore the God who is allowing the suffering in the first place. Small things. Mustard seeds. The pinch of yeast. God is not asking us to move mountains. That is His job.But we can do small, can't we? We can hold out our hand and offer up small, right?

If we can not endure in hope for ourselves, I have found, sometimes, it is easier to endure in hope for another. To be the support beams for a friend whose foundation is crumbling. To say, "it is okay if you fall apart today, because I have enough hope to hold up the both of us." Which quite frankly, might be a lie. Might feel like a lie. But say it anyway. Because what is the alternative? The alternative is probably written by the enemy. And I will choose suffering for Christ, over handing the enemy my hope, any day.

And then remember...he hung for just three hours.

This, whatever your this may be...it is temporary.

And we can endure what is temporary.

At least, I hope.