As ever, you've given us a magnificent feast to reflect on, to chew on, to savor, to make our own. I'll be reading and re-reading this over and again, Michele. Thank you for always prompting us to dig deeper into our faith in Christ.
And meanwhile, oh those kids are such CUTIES! These are the good old days. But that you already knew ...
Oh! our hope is in Christ alone! How often I can put my hope in worldly things, that is only temporary. Yes, "building the bridge" on solid theology and understanding who God is builds the solid, not fleeting, foundation of true Hope!
That image of a bridge crossing the tragic gap of uncertainty just wouldn’t leave me alone until I wrote about it. It’s an uncomfortable place to be and yet there is so much comfort available in Christ.
So love this. I posted above my computer last week a line from Tim Keller that seems a propos: "God gives us what He knows we would want if we knew what He knows." Best!
"Holding on to hope without any evidence of a happy ending may be one of the most challenging disciplines of the following life." Thank you, Michele, for your example and encouragement to continue holding on!
I can't imagine trying to navigate the ups and downs of life without my hope in God has an anchor! We've experienced God's faithfulness down through the years while dealing with hurt, disappointment, trouble, and grief. Each experience builds a bigger anchor of hope for the next time.
Michele, I so appreciated reading your newsletter this morning. I have just heard of good friends who have lost their jobs due to the federal cuts, and the children of friends who are no longer scheduling interviews after grad school because the job market is so uncertain. We do live in that gap. My own son is struggling to find work, even as the US teeters on the brink of recession. Yet we know where our hope lies. I have just stopped to pray for your seventh grandchild! And on another note, may I have your permission to quote paragraph two under point one in my own newsletter next week about holiness? I will link it back to you with attribution of course.
And all this uncertainty in the job market is coming on the heels of an employee shortage just minutes ago. It's hard to keep up with the latest emergency, isn't it?
And, of course, I'd be honored to be quoted in your letter!
Your words always speak right to my heart, I have been living in some Tragic Gap's for a long time with only a few years in between, but I remain steadfast in Hope and anchored to Christ!
What a testimony—and I hope you get to share it with people who are standing at the Gap for the first time. It's only as we come through suffering and report from the other side that we have survived and found that God does indeed "spread a table in the wilderness" that we can offer real encouragement and hope.
Loved every word! So true and so timely. So many, especially young people, are living in a bubble believing that there is only one way to define happiness and success so that when stressful times come, they quickly lose heart and don't know how to cope.
Oh, thanks for showing up here so bright and early to encourage!
And I appreciate your concern about that mindset. If the only way we can have hope in this world is for everything to go our way, we're working with an account that will always be overdrawn. The earlier we see that, the sooner we can begin to do business with reality.
As ever, you've given us a magnificent feast to reflect on, to chew on, to savor, to make our own. I'll be reading and re-reading this over and again, Michele. Thank you for always prompting us to dig deeper into our faith in Christ.
And meanwhile, oh those kids are such CUTIES! These are the good old days. But that you already knew ...
I do remind myself all the time that I won’t ALWAYS have grandkids competing for a spot on my lap!
Oh! our hope is in Christ alone! How often I can put my hope in worldly things, that is only temporary. Yes, "building the bridge" on solid theology and understanding who God is builds the solid, not fleeting, foundation of true Hope!
That image of a bridge crossing the tragic gap of uncertainty just wouldn’t leave me alone until I wrote about it. It’s an uncomfortable place to be and yet there is so much comfort available in Christ.
So love this. I posted above my computer last week a line from Tim Keller that seems a propos: "God gives us what He knows we would want if we knew what He knows." Best!
Oh, that’s a good one! Sure does put a finger on my short-sighted asking!
"Holding on to hope without any evidence of a happy ending may be one of the most challenging disciplines of the following life." Thank you, Michele, for your example and encouragement to continue holding on!
Filling up the word HOPE with biblical meaning has been so helpful. Our hope is challenged all the time by circumstances we can’t control.
Thanks so much for reading!
I can't imagine trying to navigate the ups and downs of life without my hope in God has an anchor! We've experienced God's faithfulness down through the years while dealing with hurt, disappointment, trouble, and grief. Each experience builds a bigger anchor of hope for the next time.
A “bigger anchor!”
And I don’t know how anyone survives disappointment without him.
Agreed!
Your words about the tragic gap of uncertainty met me just when I needed them. Thank you!
That’s so good to know. Praying right now for resolution and hope.
Michele, I so appreciated reading your newsletter this morning. I have just heard of good friends who have lost their jobs due to the federal cuts, and the children of friends who are no longer scheduling interviews after grad school because the job market is so uncertain. We do live in that gap. My own son is struggling to find work, even as the US teeters on the brink of recession. Yet we know where our hope lies. I have just stopped to pray for your seventh grandchild! And on another note, may I have your permission to quote paragraph two under point one in my own newsletter next week about holiness? I will link it back to you with attribution of course.
And all this uncertainty in the job market is coming on the heels of an employee shortage just minutes ago. It's hard to keep up with the latest emergency, isn't it?
And, of course, I'd be honored to be quoted in your letter!
Thanks always for your encouragement!
Your words always speak right to my heart, I have been living in some Tragic Gap's for a long time with only a few years in between, but I remain steadfast in Hope and anchored to Christ!
What a testimony—and I hope you get to share it with people who are standing at the Gap for the first time. It's only as we come through suffering and report from the other side that we have survived and found that God does indeed "spread a table in the wilderness" that we can offer real encouragement and hope.
Amen!
Loved every word! So true and so timely. So many, especially young people, are living in a bubble believing that there is only one way to define happiness and success so that when stressful times come, they quickly lose heart and don't know how to cope.
Oh, thanks for showing up here so bright and early to encourage!
And I appreciate your concern about that mindset. If the only way we can have hope in this world is for everything to go our way, we're working with an account that will always be overdrawn. The earlier we see that, the sooner we can begin to do business with reality.
Truth!
Amen!