When the Bluebird--and Hope--Arrive Again

A bluebird landed on a fence post the other day.

Right in the middle of news of deaths of loved ones,

and airplane crashes,

and political and economic unrest

and cyclones, and beheadings--

the bluebirds are landing in the branches of our straggly pine tree 

and checking out our birdhouse. 

And a little boy planted a morning glory in a pot indoors

and it is already blooming!

Little splashes of cheerful blue

in the gray of life,

little splashes of purple and white beauty of morning glory

opening to the sunlight.

And a mom finds the courage to go on with life-

to do with daughter number four what she's done with the three before her--let the little one turn the wheel on the sewing machine and press the pedal and 

lift the presser foot--and help sew a dress for herself.

Because the hope that we have is Christ--

but the hope is Christ experienced and known in the next generation, and not just ours.

And we can't give up when things look bleak. 

We pray for, love and support the martyrs, and all the real victims,

but may God save us from a victim mindset.

Some crazy co-pilot crashed a plane, and some crazy cyclone devastated Pastor Kalo's home and church in Vanuatu, and crazy terrorists ran blood into the ocean--

but on all of those days when all of those things happened,

thousands of people around the world were turning to Christ. 

Millions of Christians were worshipping and obeying and blessing God and witnessing for Him.

And God was providing daily bread for billions of families.

Hundreds of relief organizations were working around the clock,

and millions of people were being touched with love and compassion and hope again.

While the devil was pounding viciously in every way he could,

God was trying to pound into our thick skulls that

what the enemy tries to work for evil, He works for good.

And while some choose to be victims and live with bitterness and rage and self-pity because of all the evil craziness,

others choose to be crazy enough to hope and rejoice and love and forgive.

They have chosen to forgive the ones who beheaded their loved ones.

They have chosen to forgive the one who crashed the plane. 

They cry, and they hurt, and they pray--

and no one says it's easy or that they just instantly and peacefully forgive, 

but they forgive.

They suffer, but they forgive.

They suffer, they grieve, they weep, they are angry--but they let go of their anger. 

They let go of it--place it in God's hand.

And God turns their anger inside out into peace.

There are times to protect oneself, obviously, but really, do we have to protect ourselves so badly from every petty irritation and inconvenience

while Christians in Egypt gather to decide that what really matters

is staying true to Christ and sharing the gospel with those who have beheaded their loved ones?

I wonder which ones are blessed with the

peace of God?

I wonder which ones' faces shine with joy instead of being screwed up like a pickle,

and which ones' lives are a testimony of the grace of God instead of blasting out the most recent complaints and gripes against some recent inconvenience or some person we feel insecure around

or some person who has insulted someone we care about?

I wonder whose faces are radiant like a morning glory opening to the sun?