only hope

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." ~ Romans 15:13

tonight, a man named Steve sits in a car in our church parking lot. he has no house, the old buick he received as a gift from one of our 20 year olds is his only shelter. Steve has a problem, no, the problem has him. the problem with alcohol has been controlling his life for "decades" -- he finally confessed it tonight. he has lost most hope, but came to those he has learned to trust -- he says he's seen God real in his life in this little church. he said he wants to 1 serve God, 2 serve people, and 3 have a little something for himself. i told him the alcohol has reversed those priorities, and that he needed help. he agreed and we called a treatment center -- they're on the way tomorrow to pick him up and take him south to a place of help, a place of hope, instead of heading north a few blocks to jump off the bridge. Steve saw God alive in the hearts of a little church on 6th Ave --that little bit of trust provided the only ray of hope he could hold on to.

meanwhile, a man named Coleman lies in the hospital bed hospice moved into his room a few weeks ago. at 91, Coleman has seen at least 3x's the amount of joy and sorrow i've seen. 3 weeks ago tomorrow, i ate lunch with he and his wife after grim report at the doctor's office. we were eating at our monthly Caleb Club (seniors group) meeting when they told me the news--though week, he made the trip because he knew it would be his last opportunity for fellowship with the group. Coleman and his wife Eloise lived a life of serving, loving and praying -- even at their advanced age, they cooked and took meals to those who were "shut-in" or "worse off" than they were. Though any number of the ailments from cancer to leukemia to blood pressure to arthritis to Lord knows what else -- any of these would have given these two an excuse -- instead their trust in the Lord gave them a joy that overflowed as the power of the Holy Spirit carried them on. now, unable to speak, barely able to breathe, nearly unconscious -- his prayer was not for living, but peace for his family.

tomorrow, my dad will enter a not guilty plea to an awful charge against him. in today's mass media culture, he has been painted guilty in the eyes and minds of most with his picture on paper and airwaves. internet searches have led to confusion and defamation of character which only add to the pain, confusion, and loss. as dad walks through reporters to the sterile courtroom, his hope will not rest on the bench, but only in the God of hope. there's no peace in the silence that surrounds them now, only peace with the God who sent His Son, the Prince of Peace. we trust that God is true to His Word and we await the power of the Holy Spirit (the comforter, promised counselor) to guide us into all truth. our prayer is that the truth will not only set dad and mom free, but the accuser as well.

three different men, three different struggles, one answer -- the God of hope

"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." ~ Romans 5:5