I sense that I am more complete this morning. I know my logic does not make sense, but the feelings are clear and definitive. Something that I did not know was missing is now more complete and my journey continues.
Yesterday I caught up with an old friend, colleague, and boss after a ten-year absence. The two of us have taken a lot of steps during the past decade; kids growing, graduating, getting married, sickness, and deaths – and we have not even gotten beyond our immediate families! We talked about old times and current. I thanked him for the lessons that he taught me and wondered aloud about the course of our lives. We laughed about escapades and reminisced through turning points.
I came to see him in hope that we would take off where we left off, but a decade is a long time ago. I had no idea of what to expect, and neither did he! Were we bald, overweight, and full of anger and judgment? The good news is that we did not exhibit any of the above and so far have avoided the traps.
However, it wasn’t seeing him, talking about old times and new that gave me a sense of hope. Rather it was a brief exchange of comments of how God continues to rescue us from ourselves – to give us hope. I know that it might sound obvious. Because “it stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bring you alive to himself?” (Romans 8.9) Seeing God in action, looking at the results in another’s life is a strong statement of hope.
This morning I know I am more complete. God, because of Jesus at Calvary, through the Spirit is here, now. God is working grace out in your life and mine. We run, but He is there. We will fail, but He is there. We have hope because He is.
Today is full of hope.
