Places of Hope

There’s a wonderful story about a little boy who couldn’t wait for his new baby sister to come home from the hospital. He couldn’t wait to be near her and to talk to her. But his parents didn’t want him to be left alone with her; he was only four, so they would supervise his visits. He kept begging to be alone with her so one night his parents finally agreed.

The boy tiptoed into her room and next to his sister’s crib and said: “Tell me about God – I’m starting to forget.”

As adults, it is especially easy to forget. This is exactly why we need to be able to tell our own stories about God. We need to tell each other about answered prayers and about God’s presence through tough times. We need to recount how God has rescued us and carried us and loved us – so that when tough times come, we remember…  We must remember because these stories and memories that we all carry with us are the birthplaces of hope.

Let us pray: God of Grace, in the gift of your son Jesus, you have walked with us even through the valley of the shadow of death. You have loved us despite our short-comings. And your grace has met us and sustained us at our deepest point of need. May we never lose sight of your love; and may we never fail to share a word of hope with those in need. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.