WEEKLY DEVOTION BY PASTOR BARBARA
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12
My grandson told his mom he was painting “a hopeful window” for his neighbors to enjoy.
We are worried about the children in all of this sheltering at home, and yet….by fulfilling his desire to do something for others, my grandson has produced what feels like a tree of life for my heartsick soul. Did you see how he included his little brother’s handprint as a yellow tulip?
When we are heartsick, our God is heartsick right alongside of us. But heart sickness is not all that God is feeling. God is feeling love, and compassion, and hope when it is a struggle for us to feel at all. God sent Jesus to paint a picture of God’s love for us, in good times and in bad, to help us to find the desire to fulfill our dreams. God does this, not by making life’s problems disappear, but by helping us to turn our hearts to a different desire that is not based on what we are missing, but on a desire to help and encourage others. And when, in the midst of the hard stuff, we fulfill that desire, we, the people of God, become God’s tree of life – and hope – in the world.
I see you working, and giving, and calling each other, and shopping for each other, and much more! I pray that, in this difficult time, we will allow God to help us to help each other fulfill, as certain dreams are deferred, the desire to bring God’s tree of life – and hope – to others, even, and especially in this difficult time.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Barbara