"Set your hope..."
If I'm going to "set" a glass of ice water onto some kind of surface, I'm going to make sure that surface is stable first. If I'm going to set my HOPE onto an entity (or belief or essence), I'd better be sure it's immovable. If I'm going to "set a course," and really want to get there, I must be sure the instruments I am using are totally realiable to help navigate me to my destination. If I'm going to "set my mind" or "fix my mind" on something I prioritize as having utmost importance, I'm probably going to be sure it truly is as important as I believe it is, and I'll probably test my theory that it is.
My ultimate heart is to be an encourager. I feel (sometimes, super intensely) mercy and compassion for many around me, so much so, at least once a day, I need to be alone and process. It's cliche, but so true, I can't even kill bugs without guessing what it must be like for them and feeling sad. It's stupid, I know.
I, TO THIS DAY, assign human feelings to inanimate objects, like I did with my teddy bear, Polar Puff, as a child. My little brother would playfully find ways to get a rise out of me by hanging him from the chandelier, etc., and I would timidly giggle and say, "Polar Puff doesn't mind," so I could help feel better about his "pain." :)) Obviously, as an adult, I stop and remind myself, "No, Andi, those orange peels don't feel sad you didn't compost them." I can create entirely silly stories in my imagination of how the orange peel was so excited to join his friends in the compost, but I threw him away and I stole all of his dreams.
There are so many problems with this, I know:)) I promise I'm a rational human being--I just have a wild imagination:))
This morning, like many mornings, I woke up and talked to God about my many anxieties in my own life and the life on the planet--so much heartache here. I said, "God, I know this is not fair to ask, but instead of me coming to you with my prayers, praises, and Bible opening, can you ever just come to me?" I laughed knowing God is going, "Ummm...Andi, I literally do that every day, are you watching, are you listening?”
(Romans 1:19-20 “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made”).
Then, I opened my closet and looked up at one of my favorite shirts, it has a beautiful verse about my insufficiency and His grace. I laughed a little, knowing this is just one example of God meeting me where I'm at. I put the shirt on. (Boy, can we ever where a lot of shirts, can't we? Shirts like "shame," "grief," "sadness," "anger," "always offended." We really wear them out, right?) I really needed a reminder of his grace today.
Next, a song fluttered into my mind, "Waymaker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the darkness, my God, that is Who You are..."
There He is again. I smirked and thought, "I know…I know.”
I know this is an area where anyone could argue, “Yo, Andi…that isn’t God. That’s just you imagining that’s God, because you are attributing stuff to Him. That song came up in you because you have a built in brain map for it. You chose that shirt because you needed encouragement yourself today.” This is a good argument. And in return, I would say this, it is possible I am assigning things to God, yes and...
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”
I didn’t see God hand me the shirt, or turn on His playlist, but I believe He is loving, real and relational. I believe He sees you and me and our needs and has time to meet us and encourage us just where we are. He saw me crying in my bed this morning, and hoping in Him. I have seen Him care for me all my life. I’ve seen Him do greater things than giving me small reminders like He did today. I have faith in Him, though I do not see Him. I have faith, and believe He cares about me and about you in the smallest of ways.
I took out my Bible. My friends, the world is HEAVY on my heart today. I said, "Jesus, I want to encourage, somehow, the church today--and really, anyone I can--today."
He led me to 1 Peter 1-2. I was very distracted by what I wanted to do, say, and write. I prayed for Him to help me concentrate. I wrote down many verses. "Set your HOPE fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Christ Jesus." (1:13)
"According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a LIVING HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, unfading, KEPT IN HEAVEN FOR YOU, who by God's power are being GUARDED THROUGH FAITH for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In THIS WE REJOICE, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuiness of your faith --more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1:3-12)
My encouragement: Set your HOPE on Him. Nothing, and no one else. LIVING HOPE.
Remember the ice water being set on a immovable surface?
Well, this "surface" is a LIVING ROCK, on which I set my HOPE. I SET MY HOPE ON HIM, and He is also the LIVING HOPE. He's alive, and available, and Present and I can have relationship with Him, and talk and laugh with Him. I can set my course of hope because of His grace. I can fix or set my mind on His love.
He talked with me about this today--stating and restating to my heart, "Andi, I'm not going anywhere. I AM the ROCK. I'm here with you." People leave, people die, people are not immovable. God very clearly showed me--though everyone may leave you, I'm not going anywhere. I KNOW that is true. This morning, His Presence in my bedroom, in my stairwell, in my kitchen and certainly in my spirit, was undeniable. And undeniably loving.
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