Hope

Every now and then, I find out that people actually read my blog, and I am always surprised. I seem to break all of the rules of good blogging, such as, blog frequently, or blog regularly, or have a clear point. Honestly, I think that the main reason I blog as infrequently and irregularly as I do is because I generally blog for my own sake. That doesn't mean that I don't want people to read my blog, but rather that I write what I need to read and hear--I write what I am processing. 

In my last blog post I wrote about how I had lost a friend, and how I had recently experienced his presence again. One reader contacted me and from that conversation, I have heard a story that I want to tell to more people. 

Cameron Von St. James and his wife Heather were just celebrating the birth of their newborn daughter, Lily Rose, when Heather was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. She was given 15 months to live. in fact, 95% of those diagnosed with this illness die within two years. Thanks to tireless effort, countless hospital visits, many doctors, and one amazing and radical surgery later, Heather is still alive and sharing her testimony now seven years later! You can watch her video to get the full story...

Cameron and Heather work hard to raise awareness for this illness that is a result of prolonged contact with asbestos. Among other things, Cameron writes a really helpful blog about providing cancer care for loved ones. 

I wanted to share this story to help raise awareness about mesothelioma. I also wanted to share this story because I want to raise awareness about hope. 

Hope is a funny thing... a powerful thing... an absolutely essential thing for each of us. Yet hope is such a rare and precious thing. 

Quite simply, I think that the world convinces us to give up on hope. Some people of faith have a high regard for the world. In Christian theology, these folks would have a strong belief in what's called "common grace"--the belief that God's grace is at work generally in the world making it possible for good things to happen and for order to be maintained. I admire these people, but I am not one of these people. I do not have much belief in common grace. To me, the world is a broken, sick, and sinful place where darkness and death seem to speak loudest. 

I realize how gloomy that sounds to say that the world is sick and broken and dark. But I pray that you will hear me out long enough to see the glorious light that I believe fills my calling...

I got into ministry not because I thought the world was great and God was happy in heaven just waiting for us to get to him; rather, I got into ministry because I think that all hell has broken loose on this world and God has come here in Jesus to fight for every last inch of reality, and I want to give my life in hope that he will redeem it all. 

And it is this funny, powerful, and absolutely necessary hope that drives me. Hope that the whole world is full of God's presence and in his presence there is light. Hope that we are not alone in our weakness and sin. Hope that the whole world is enchanted and filled full of God's Spirit and being brought into his reign. Hope that in the end life wins. 

Whatever it is that you are facing, may you find the hope to rise above, and may you know that we are never alone. You are loved, and you are chosen.