A Future and a Hope

Posted by Rhodema | 0 comments

My daughter’s high school graduation fell on the very day a pastor proclaimed in a national campaign the world was going to end: May 21, 2011. “At least by 6:00 p.m. I will already be a graduate and the whole family will be together at the restaurant,” my daughter pointed out. We were still at the table after the bill was tallied and the dessert plates polished off—well after the deadline for the world’s time clock to stop.

My daughter spoke with tongue in cheek but I wondered how all three of my young adult children were viewing their futures amidst tumultuous news every night in the media. Between wars, wild weather and a wobbly economy, they could be thinking adulthood looks bleak.

Fear

Another daughter just graduated from college—with no job and few prospects. My friends assure me that she is just like 60 percent of all recent graduates. Only about one in four who applied for a job had one lined up by the time they walked across the stage and threw their hats in the air.

Another daughter is married with a new baby. On a recent visit in their home we spent the evening glued to the local weather radar as numerous tornadoes touched down within a mile of their apartment. The night before a string of tornadoes had devastated Joplin, Missouri.

Since the start of the year, these new parents have witnessed the horrific earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, the worst flooding in the central plains of America and the most devastating tornado in history. If they keep watching the news past the weather segment, wars and violence fill the remainder of the air time. The world is an uncertain place to raise a baby right now.

Focus

God has an answer for our temptation to fear:  DON’T!!! Over and over in scripture God reassures His people. They will be shaken in this life but they are not to fear.

I love the story in Matthew 8. Jesus slept in the boat and would have missed the storm completely, if His disciples had not wakened Him. He was resting safely in His Father. I believe if they had done nothing and let Jesus sleep, they still would have made it safely to the other side.

What did my new grandbaby do during the tornado scare? She lay in her mother’s arms, dozing or looking up into her face, sure that her mother would care for her needs.

She was such a picture of Psalm 131: 2 and 3:

But I have calmed and quieted myself,

I am like a weaned child with its mother;

like a weaned child I am content.

Israel, put your hope in the LORD

both now and forevermore.

A Future and a Hope

The world can look depressing right now. The prosperity and opportunities available a few years ago have diminished. Young people just starting out in careers and raising families can become disillusioned.

God is still certain amidst the world’s uncertainty. He has our children’s and grandchildren’s futures planned and under control.

There are days I have to turn to my favorite verse more than once. I often share it with my children. I want it to soak deep into our thoughts and spirit:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Our future and our prosperity may look different than the dreams of the past decade. Yet, God still has our good in mind. He does still have a future and a hope for us.

Lord,

Praise You that You are still the God with a plan for our hope-filled future. Help us let go of our expectations from the past and see the new things You do everyday on our behalf. When we are shaken, help us focus on the certainty of Your nearness and desire to prosper us in spirit and to give us life abundant. Thank you that You and Your Word do not change—they are sure!

Amen,

A Praying Mom

Rhodema Cargill lives the parenting adventure with Calvin, her college sweetheart. They have two adult daughters and two teenagers still at home, a girl and a boy. Their homeschool style is eclectic with a great love of living history books. Rhodema is a freelance writer and speaker. Visit with her on her blog: MommyLife.