Hope?

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

  How long must I take counsel in my soul

and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;

light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,

  lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”

lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

  I will sing to the Lord,

because he has dealt bountifully with me.

-Psalm 13

When you hear the term "A man after God's own heart", what comes to mind? 

Do you picture someone living in perfect peace? Someone who lives a righteous 

life? Someone who faithfully obedient? God uses that phrase to describe David. 

But as we can see from this Psalm, he wasn't always at peace. We certainly 

know he wasn't always righteous or faithfully obedient (See: Bathsheba). 

What does it mean? There are many Psalms like this one where David cries out 

to God.  Hopelessness. Despair. Tears. But, there is still hope. David says he will

rejoice in the Lord's salvation, but I believe that he rejoices through affliction. 

He sings through his tears. It reminds me of Lamentations 3:25-33

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
    to the soul who seeks him.
26 It is good that one should wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man that he bear
    the yoke in his youth.

28 Let him sit alone in silence
    when it is laid on him;
29 let him put his mouth in the dust—
    there may yet be hope;
30 let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
    and let him be filled with insults.

31 For the Lord will not
    cast off forever,
32 but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
    according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
33 for he does not afflict from his heart
    or grieve the children of men.

Soda pop

I was sitting in the lobby of the Sequim High school auditorium last night, waiting for my siblings to finish rehearsals. I had been practicing my Ukulele to pass the time, and about an hour and a half through the rehearsal, I heard a voice call my name. Mrs. Cowan, a mom to some of the other kids in the play, and a friend from the home-school co-op said to me, "we're headed out to get dinner. Do you need anything?" I stammered for a bit as my brain was waking up from daydreaming. "Umm, I.. guess, umm"
"What kind of Soda do you like?"
"Mountain Dew"
"Alright, we'll back in a few minutes"

A few minutes later they returned, and handed me a Mountain Dew. It was an extraordinarily simple gesture. But it encouraged me in a way that I have a hard time describing. Offering a can of soda from was an expression of Christ's love to me, in an unassuming and subtle way. Just a small act of kindness, changed my entire outlook of the day. So, Thank you Mrs. Cowan. Thank you for taking a few moments to ask me what kind of soda I wanted. I truly appreciate it!

Don't underestimate the impact you can have on someone with a can of soda! Show love to others in little ways. Be an expression of Christ. Even if it seems like such a small act, it can impact a person's day, or even a persons life.

God bless!