Hope and Mountain Views

I am on vacation in Washington state visiting family and friends. I have done a lot quilting and connecting with my mom in the mornings over a good cup of coffee. Yes, my mom drinks good, dark Starbucks coffee. The weather has been fabulous with fall colors, mild temperatures and sun!

Most mornings in the Pacific Northwest start out overcast and you wait for the movement of the day to reveal its colors. A couple days I have experienced the majestic beauty of Mount Rainier out in full glory. From experience, I know it's not everyday that you get the opportunity to see such majesticness; it always causes a person to slow down, stop and breathe in this sight.

The other day I was thinking about Mt. Rainier and how it reminds me of hope. Most of the time you do not see hope, just like you don't see Mt. Rainier when it is overcast. We all know, believe and wait for the mountain to appear. Then, when the clouds of life part from our yearning, longing, grieving or whatever state we are in, we find the splendor of hope. This hope causes my soul to swell.

Hope is a fickle attribute in our lives because we never know when it will reveal itself. But we know that our hope will not be disappointed, because the love of Christ has been poured out in our hearts. The suscipe from Psalm 119 that we sing at profession is: "Receive me, O Lord, that I may live; do not disappoint me in my hope." Our hope is in the majesty of Christ's presence in our lives, and the promise of everlasting life and the coming of God's kingdom.

Hope finds its way to reveal itself in majesty through the colors of autumn, the smile of a friend or the birds flying south. If none of these are present to you today, I recommend a strong cup of coffee and quilting project.