Hope

Photo 52, Week 44:  Photographer's Choice

On a detour from a walking path I like to visit, 

I happened upon this sculpture.

It immediately drew me in.

The first figure that grabbed me was this one,

who by virtue of the previous night's rain appeared to have very real sweat on his brow.

After a few moments, my gaze fell beyond him

to the figure who, for some unexplained reason,

unique among his cohorts,

dared to look up

and embody hope.

I have wondered before

how it can be true that hope deferred makes the heart sick,

and at the same time that hope does not disappoint us.

I have been there, in both situations.
I have learned to see hope in light of eternity.
And this I continue to learn.

"Therefore, since we are justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand,
and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings,
knowing that suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character,
and character produces hope,
and hope does not disappoint us,
because God's love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us."
Romans 5:1-5

I love the look in this figure's eyes that says he dares to believe

that hope will bring some kind of reward.

"May the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Romans 15:13