Walking With Hope

I’m walking tonight and listening. To the cardinals song, the chickadees singing, and the gentle breeze. It caresses my hair. The sun is hiding behind a few dark clouds, but it’s there, I see a tiny shimmer on the river. 

Peaceful. 

Until a big red smelly dump truck interrupts it all, just doing its job, hardworking and pushy. I grit my teeth until it passes by, leaving a stench as it rolls up the hill. 

But soon, all is quiet and I can hear my worship music again. One of my favourite songs “Oh I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God.”

The words lift me up, and my arm raises high. Smiling, I sing. Peace again settles on my being and I walk on.

I start to think about life, and hope – and walking in hope. Another song in my playlist speaks of having hope “in the flood and in the fire”. That He walks with us, in the flood and the fire, and He won’t let go. 

Tenth Avenue North sings these words in their song “I Have this Hope ”. 

I don’t  want to live in fear
I want to trust that You are
Trust your grace can be seen
in both triumph and tragedy 

I have this hope
In the depth of my soul
In the flood or the fire
You’re with me and You won’t let go. 

It’s good to sing these songs to ourselves. To myself. To remind myself, of His goodness and His hope.

Hope that declares I am safe and held in His hands. Cared for and immeasurably loved. 

I don’t know why we walk through fire that sears our hearts. I wish the valleys weren’t so low, and the pain didn’t cut so deep. I wish some nights weren’t so long, and that our hearts didn’t limp, bleeding and aching. I wish our feet weren’t blistered, and tired and sore. I wish we walked on easier trails, and paths marked only by beautiful views, rainbows and sunshine. Of course, at times there are rainbows and sunshine and for those times I’m truly thankful. 

But this I do know, I’ve seen beauty in the blood. In His broken heart. In blood-stained wood. Blood that should have been mine. But HIS blood brought beauty to an ugly wooden cross. 

Sin-washing blood!

Blood that heals scars, and mends lives and offers amazing peace.  

He made discarded grave clothes and a lifeless cold tomb beautiful. He is the beauty that walks with me, surrounds me and carries me. He makes my limping ugliness beautiful. His eyes shone beauty when he extended his hand and said, “Daughter, you are forgiven.”

He still looks at me and you that way.

I walk a beautiful trail, because I walk hand in hand with the beautiful One.

For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues to all generations. – Psalm 100:5

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. –  Romans 12:12