Front Porch Ramblings

I am sitting out on my front porch.

It is quiet except for the distant cars and occasional air conditioner kicking on and off. Peaceful. Random dogs bark, a few bugs make their bug noises and here I am...sitting on my front porch.

The night is welcome to me tonight as I am find myself in a bit of a contemplative and thoughtful mindset. When I get like this I feel as though I can be a narrator for some motion picture as I type the words that will overlay some scenic pictures of landscapes while a movie is just beginning.

It is when I find myself in these sort of states that I find myself looking at the world in a bigger picture than just my own front porch. I find myself overcome with gratitude as I think of Elijah and Kylie sleeping safely up in their bedrooms. I find myself wanting to be close to God and learn what I can from His words to me...to know that He is there in a fatherly capacity looking out for the world, even if we let him watch out for us or not - or if we believe in Him or not.

If one lets oneself think freely about God - one would get a sense that there IS one. How in the world would we just "become" out of nothing? So, I hate to tell ya, people who believe in the Big Bang or others like it - gosh you don't have a compelling argument on your case. :) Why would we be here then? Why would we want to get up everyday and live our lives? Why would we desire to do good (and I believe we all have that in us....its our pick though.)? This argument leaves NO room for HOPE...and why would you want to live without HOPE?

I can't help but think of the book Ecclesiastes from the Bible. The book talks of a VERY well to do guy who ruled kingdoms, had tons of women, loads and money and pretty much everything life had to offer him - and yet he keeps saying over and over that "life is meaningless..." that is - trying to obtain these things and getting these things and living with these things NEVER brought him any satisfaction. Fast forward to present day where movie stars and millionaires say the same exact thing....yeah I have these things but nothing really fills me up...again - where is the HOPE in that?

I think we are all searching for HOPE...its just have we come to the place in our lives where we are at the end of ourselves and willing to admit it? Are we willing to be lay down our pride and our preconceived notions to even admit that we are searching for SOMETHING? I think it is exactly at THAT place that HOPE can meet us....it is always when I admit that I need help, or admit I need advice or admit that I can't do it on my own that I get an overwhelming sense of HOPE because it is only THERE at that SPOT of surrender that RESCUE can meet us.

I hear an airplane overhead...

Do those people in that plane know about HOPE? Do they know there is more to "life" as we know "life" to be? It is a thrilling and exciting place to let go of yourself - it is only then you start to experience HOPE in the way of FREEDOM.

I remember when I let go of myself. I remember when I couldn't hold myself back from throwing off my fear and doubt and jumping into the arms of HOPE...and being caught. It was a thrill of a lifetime....a thrill that marked the beginning of the "Great Adventure" for me. An adventure of waking up each morning knowing Hope personally and facing the day knowing without a doubt that my soul is secure - grasping hold of the truth that I am a forgiven person and loved by Hope, himself....I can NEVER put words to it. I can NEVER describe it in the right way to portray it in the magnitude. Perhaps one day I will be able to formulate the words....its like being born new each day...its like, even when I run - I turn around and Hope is there like a warm blanket - familiar and safe.

I am so thankful for the Hope that I know in Jesus. It is a mysterious thing really. I can't quite capture it in words but I can say that nobody in their right mind would deny it if they really understood it. How could you really turn away from Hope...because in the end isn't that exactly what we are all searching for?