It is the beginning of Holy Week and it is already brimming with death, grief, destruction, new life and that wonderful gift of hope. Notre Dame burning filled our screens and news coverage for hours. Today there is hope for what is salvaged. Hope and determination to rebuild the 850 year old Paris treasure.
Ann Voskamp shares her youngest daughter's journey through open heart surgery in a powerful blog post found HERE. Her daughter from China with half a heart. Her daughter Hope who walked out of the hospital during this Holy Week giving them all hope!
Hoda from the Today Shows has adopted another daughter and is home on maternity leave holding a precious gift that springs forth from another mother's loss. She is overjoyed and so grateful to have her daughter Hope join their family. Hope rising.
Yesterday morning I watched Joel who was watching the city trim trees on our block. The second day of Holy Week there was tree trimming going on and from it will come new life. Monday Joel worked in the front yard believing the snow is finally gone. Tuesday he rode his bike 10 miles, taking in the sights and smells of Spring. These moments in time were intentional for him. He is so good about stepping out of the stresses of his life to shift his thinking and find release in distracting moments. A week of many sermons and services, a conflict at one of the churches, and taking care of his Missy has him needing those moments. Self care with hope rising.
A week plus 1 day ago I had yet another surgery related to kidney stones. It was 2 1/2 hours of lasering another large stone and a couple of smaller ones. In all honesty, being up in the urethra for so long has it's own set of symptoms relating to pain, incontinence, and more. A fever, shakes, and chills were worrisome the first few days as my temperature ranged from normal to 103. It quickly dissolved to normal through the power of answered prayers and I am sleeping nightly 2 hours at a time now before needing to head to the bathroom. Improvement is slow (with cancer treatments weighing heavily in the mix) but I am improving. Hope is rising....
Holy Week. Hope is rising everywhere we look. Even though it is a time to reflect and repent, it is also a time to remember all that Jesus did for us out of love. Pure love. He shed His blood for us. He suffered for us. Ahead of us is the darkest day of the year........Good Friday. The grief is real, the need to be humble is real, the need for hope is real. And it is there. As the cross looms.......Hope is rising because of what we know! Because of Who we know. God is the source of all hope, so we can say with hope, Sunday is coming!!!!!!!
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