2010 Land Rover.

I've been thinking a lot about hope lately and the difference it makes in the big picture, but also in the details of daily life. My pastor talked just after Christmas on hope, which initiated the thought process in my head as I feel God is teaching me about hope... about what that means in the midst of the messy life here on earth. He is teaching me about how it makes a difference in the decisions I make, my attitude when I get up in the morning, my general disposition and my perspective as I live my life. It's not an elusive thing that is irrelevant to me unless talking about spiritual things, but should actually be braided into my very being.

A few thoughts from the sermon delivered by Pastor Rob Brendle

Hope: the sense that things are going to get better.

Christmas was the first real hope for mankind.

I ask myself... what is my hope in? When I am lonely, do I put my hope in earthly, faulty relationships, friendships, family, men? When I am feeling empty, do I put my hope in a new cute top, a fun new haircut, a brand new phone or computer? When I am feeling like I have no purpose in this world do I put my hope in a new job, my future career plans, my current employment? I honestly can say that I can answer YES to all these questions. So I am challenged, because all of these things have failed me, how do I change my hope? What does that look like? How do I remind myself daily to put my hope in Christ?

When I am down, depressed, overwhelmed, and lonely... I need to remind myself of the glorious truth that He has RESCUED US, RESTORED US AND REDEEMED US so that we never have to go back to the darkness again. He is the light of the world, he is the light of my world and I am so blessed to live in the light. A common metaphor if you are a believer... but a very powerful one. I have become numb to the truth and I am pricking myself to be revived to it once again. Because this hope can stand up to EVERYTHING. To overdraft checking accounts, to loss of jobs, to loss of relationships, to death, to loss of health, to loss of possessions... to EVERYTHING. Wow. What else can we say that about? Can our spouses stand up to everything? Can our friends? Can our jobs? Can money? Can our possesssions, our houses? Nope. Not even our bodies - they all betray us, they are all fallen. All that said, my challenge then is found in Matthew 5:14 when God says to be the salt and light of the world. He is my light and I am called to be a light to others... how cliche but wow. A powerful calling, thank God we have His power, wisdom and strength to move forward in it. My question to myself is what does that look like in my life? To be a light to others? To love them unconditionally? That's not easy.

When I climbed Mt. Bierstadt and Evans on 4th of July last year, when we got to the top of Evans, our 2nd 14er, instead of hiking down in the middle of a storm completely exhausted, we got a ride down to the bottom in two 2010 Land Rovers being tested for altitude testing. These british men had been flown by their companies over to the States to drive brand new cars up and down in the mountains. These things were luxary vehicles and these men were obviously paid well. They were different from all the other tourists on the top of that mountain who had driven up to see the beauty of the mountains, many of them traveling from far away to visit this place and it was maybe the only vacation they took that year. Maybe some were Denverites who couldn't afford to travel further then a couple hours away in the summer, so they stayed close, seeing what there was to see in Colorado because their annual trip to Florida was just too expensive this year. So many people are struggling, on family vacations and trips and then there were these two men whose purpose on top of that mountain was completely different. They acted like they were better then the others. One of them carrying and using probably a $3000 camera to capture the images from the top. Their security was obviously in their jobs, their money, their possessions. I am not judging the condition of their hearts, but simply using them as an example because how many people do altitude testing for Land Rover and visibly put their hope in Jesus? They were the elite, the upper class, they were different and they knew it then all the other tourists and they rested in the security of their jobs.

What is my security in? And do I walk around, resting in my security that this is not my home and big picture: I will die one day and go to live with the Creator of the universe, praising him everyday forever. I probably don't look like that, I worry and stress and strive for hope and security in faulty things of this world. I want to be different. I want people to see a peace and an obvious difference in me then all these other tourists trying to figure out life and seek happiness. I want to be a light to the world, a hope to the nations. I want to be used and for Him to work through me so they may know Him, the ultimate HOPE.