Hope

If one needs to be reminded what hope looks like, one needs only to look at a child. Leslie has recently taken to informing people that when she turns five, she gets a scooter. This is because she asked for one at four, and we told her she had to be five before she could get one. Now, she expects it, kind of like she won't be surprised at all if she gets one, and it will just be like, "What took you so long?"
In that way, hope seems a lot like expectancy. And really, I think it is. Its also married very closely to faith, the whole- "Faith is being certain of what you hope for, and sure of what you cannot see." I really think this kind of certain hope that I see in our four year old is very similar to the certain Hope that the Bible talks of. Its not like the common idea of hope that says, "We'd really like this thing to happen even if it probably won't." Like hoping we win the lottery. No, its a hope that is more, "Hey God, I knew you'd come through."
We have the living hope of Christ when we look at life wiht an expectancy that God is revealed all around us. When the miracle comes through, AND when it doesn't. When we have victory AND when we lose it big time. Hope is knowing God is there with us. Hope is knowing He will always be with us.

Fear

Not too long ago, I was going into the hall closet to get the vacuum out. I opened the door, and as I looked where the vacuum was usually, I instead saw a small shape move very quickly toward me and squeak. No, not a mouse, Kenna. I jumped, and yelled myself, as I was not expecting anything to jump at me and Kenna, Leslie, and Kristin all got a good laugh out of it.

I enjoy spooking people, but I do not like it when fear sets in and takes a longer time to be shrugged off. I have found that fear really causes damage to me, especially in the area of faith. Fear about finances, health, conditions in the world at large all seem to settle in and eat away at my faith that God is big enough to handle it. Fear leads me to distrust God's goodness, or maybe just doubt that God's intentions towards me are less than good. What if I am to tested like Job, or 'left hanging' like John the Baptist? They did the right thing, and they suffered for it. The issue, I think, is that I am fearing circumstances more than the God who holds their reins.

Jesus told a man who was fearful of a terrible outcome, "Do not be afraid, just believe." More than just believe God is in control, but believe God. Believe He is good, just, righteous. Believe He is- period.

Because if God is real, and true, and good, and righteous, and just- He knows better than I what I can and should endure.

War Within

We have hit that stage of development for our kids where they are occasionally at war with each other. The other day, Leslie started putting notes up on her door saying (she tells us) "Leslie's Room, no Kennas allowed." And then helpfully put up a "Kenna's Room, no Leslies allowed" on her sister's door. So all is not lost.
But it does make me think about why we have a natural tendency to go to war with each other. I mean, the first sin (OK, the second after the actual Fall) was a brother killing a brother. Since then, we have warred and fought with each other in deserts and seas and fields and on Fox News.
Maybe we are so warlike because we are at war with ourselves, fighting the urges and feelings of our sinful nature, and it just oozes out of us. We devise rules for ourselves to protect ourselves from ourselves, then impose them on others who do not see the need. It resulted in the Crusades , and the Baptist Doctrine against dancing which just recently got a student suspended from a Christian school for going to another school's prom.
Romans 7 talks about this war within, and the fact that we know what is right, yet feel the need to do what is wrong. It wasn't easy for Paul, and it sure isn't easy for me. It's like blogging- I know I should, cuz I have this, but I don't, because I would rather Facebook, or watch TV or whatever. So in an effort to have something worthwhile to put up here, for the next few weeks, I'll blog a bit about the series we're doing at the Gate. Because what we need to have to do the right thing is more motivation than we have to do the wrong thing.