Tomorrow

The sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar or so sings Little Orphan Annie. Yet the promise of tomorrow carries no guarantees does it? Despite Annie's optimism, it doesn't mean that the world is getting better every day.

Tonight my son's transmission went south on him. He is depressed to say the least. He lives for the opportunity to drive, and he is looking at a big bill, maybe bigger than he can afford. Yet, he is fortunate that he lives in a family that will offer him support and encouragement. How many are out there who have to make it on their own? How many are living with a fear of tomorrow because today has stolen their hope? How many aren't worried about whether a car will run, but whether they will run out of all hope?

I wish I had an easy answer to the failures of the world. To be honest we cannot manufacture hope or create optimism, because eventually despite our Annie sized hearts we will come face to face with the limits of our abilities.

Yet, this is not an "all hope is lost" diatribe. Ultimately, hope is born out of faith, and faith is the stuff of which we cannot see (Hebrews 11.1). As the Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 5, our current suffering does not need to lead to despair. Rather than working forward from what is, we are asked to work backwards from what has been promised. Living from this perspective, no matter our current disappointments, we can imagine that there will be a day when the tide will turn.

I don't know what is going to happen to my son's transmission, and I don't know how our current difficulties are going to be resolved, but I do know that many of my current problems are of little consequence when I compare them against the hope that would be our guide. I hope we can look beyond what is, to see what is coming just beyond the horizon.

Peace,

Pal