Hope

Outside in the darkness, a freezing rain was falling. Darline and I were walking down the front aisle at Wal Mart. We passed the leftover Christmas items that were on sale, and then I saw them! Right between the old Christmas stuff and the snow shovels--- garden seeds! The first sign of Spring!

Every year I watch for the seed displays in the stores. I don’t raise a garden myself, but I always feel better once I see them. For me they represent hope! They symbolize the promise that winter will pass. The seed packets evoke visions of warm summer days, freshly mown lawns, picnics, barbecues, family and friends.

I know a package of seeds isn’t much amid the cold, frozen barrenness of a long, dark winter, but it doesn’t take a lot of hope to make a big difference. That’s the nature of hope. Hope keeps you going. When all around you life seems dead and barren a little hope can give you the strength to go on.

As God’s people we are to be agents of hope. We are God’s representatives, Christ’s ambassadors, in a world that is perishing in the midst of a seemingly endless spiritual winter. In fact, apart from Christ there is no end to the spiritual winter. He is the Springtime, he is the Life.

Paul instructed the Philippians to “... become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life...” Many times we underestimate the positive difference we, as individual Christians, make in the world. Just by being who you are where you are, you can become a beacon of hope.

Let your light shine where you are and trust God to use you. Snow shovels must give way to seeds, Winter must give way to Springtime, and darkness must give way to light. Be a beacon of hope. Someone is counting on you. Someone desperately needs to see your light.