A Symbol of Hope

Photo by Sandrine

As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 'I tell you the truth,' he said, 'this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’ Luke 21:1-4

Ruele Howe tells about growing up with his parents in the country. When he was 15 years old, the house caught on fire. They escaped with only the clothes on their backs. There were no close neighbors to help, so he and his father walked to a distant village to get supplies. As they returned they saw something that stayed with Ruele Howe all those years after. Beside the charred remains of what had been their house, his mother had laid out lunch on a log. She had placed a tin can filled with wildflowers on the log. It was a symbol of hope in the midst of tragedy.

This is the Christian faith, isn't it? She didn't try to cover up the disaster with flowers, but in the midst of that gloomy scene she had placed a symbol of hope.

The two coins that the widow placed in the temple treasury were her wildflowers. That was her symbol, her way of saying I know God will provide.

A pearl to string: How about you when you go through a valley or a desert trial?
What’s your symbol of hope? Do you put your trust in yourself or your capabilities? Do you fully rely on a doctor to give you all the answers? Must you have all the answers in a crisis? Are you content with the gifts God has given you or do you long for what others have? Are you waiting to be rescued? Do you need some hope? My symbol of hope is a saying I made up years ago. “One thing to remember about a desert experience – you’re only one S away from dessert.” Having a Savior is SWEET! Add an S to your desert!

'Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.' Jeremiah 33:3

Lean into the Lord, read and learn from your Bible and symbols of hope will spring up all around you. There is hope everywhere BUT it’s not in the things seen - the things of this world. Hope is in that which is unseen. Real hope is in the real Lord.

You can shine
Under the Son
Lyndi