a season of hope

My nephew recently got married. Aside from the fact that there is absolutely no way that I can possibly be old enough to have a married nephew, the news of his engagement and subsequent marriage was super exciting. He and bride were able to have their ceremony just days before the Covid-19 hit. They, as newlyweds, are entering a season of hope.

The other day, I wandered outside to take in the fresh air of spring. Summer takes awhile to arrive in my neck of the woods, but the first glimmerings of spring are upon us. A tiny pansy poked its head through the grass, eager to begin its new life in a season of hope.

Things are bleak right now in many ways. Many are waiting for their unemployment while they tackle odd jobs in an effort to support their families. Many are struggling with the new reality of quarantine, social distancing, masks, gloves, and other safety measures. Others struggle with the fear that they, or someone they love, could contract the Coronavirus. Still others face anxiety and depression as the world around us changes in unprecedented ways.

Is there still a season of hope in these challenging times? I would answer that with an emphatic “yes”! Why? Because our hope is not found in this world. It isn’t found in temporary things. It’s found in the One who gave His life so we may live. Our hope lasts for more than just a season. For those of us who have surrendered our lives to Jesus, it lasts for an eternity.

When I was a teenager, I remember sitting with my mom on the couch. Her arm draped around me as she consoled me over a friend’s betrayal. “This too shall pass,” Mom said, kissing the top of my head.

I didn’t think the pain from that betrayal would ever pass. But Mom was right, it did pass and the heartbreak did become a memory.

My friends, this too shall pass. Things won’t always be framed through the lens of Covid-19. We won’t always have to wear masks, practice social distancing, and avoid hugs and handshakes. (As a hugger, I long for that day!) We won’t always have to attend church online or be trapped inside our homes and only emerge for “essentials”. We won’t always have to wait with trepidation for that unemployment check to finally arrive so we can pay our bills. We won’t always be mired in the negative news spewed daily by the media.

There is a season of hope coming with the end of the Covid-19 quarantines. It will pass. And there is an eternal season of hope coming when we spend all eternity with the One who loves us more than we can even fathom. So, like the fragile little pansy in my backyard who arches its colorful face toward the sun to sustain it, let us, in our frailty, uncertainty, and worry lift our faces toward the Son.

For He is our hope. And not just for a season.