Here With God? Then You Still Have Hope.

"And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."  ...1 John 2:17

"Be the change you wish to see in this world."   ... Gandhi

******


There's a street here which, 20+ years ago, Tom and I only sometimes visited (from our own town nearby) because, always, many cars and busy shoppers lined it. But it's on the way to a huge bookstore and library so we'd risk it.

Well, here at Hobbit Cottage we're nearer this street now and Saturday morning we slowly drove along it, looking for a possible breakfast diner. 

Oh dear.

I stared from the car window to boarded-up shops, some graffiti and nearly-empty sidewalks and kept hearing dire, dire, dire inside my head. Also, I recalled when we first moved to New York in 1993, I'd drive to the mall nearby even though the crowds jostled me in their hurried-ness. Across the street was a movie theater where we'd bring a young Naomi.

Well, the theater was torn down probably 15 years ago and the mall, ever since, wheezed toward slow death. The final store, Sears, (where, since our 30's, we'd often bought appliances ), closed last month.

Maybe you have similar depressing stories.

This morning at Facebook in three different instances regarding sad/bad worldly behavior, friends 'encouraged' other friends, "It's the way it is now. Get used to it."

Hmmm. That sounds too much like, "Just give up," to me. "Just face it: Life now can never feel terrific like it used to." "Soak in defeat. It's ok."

Yes, things are tough now. Granted. But the Bible does say--


" ...do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope."   ... 1 Thessalonians 4:13


 As Christians we do have God and with Him comes a ton of hope.

Hope that ---

--if there's a way to live in joy, He'll show us how.
--if there's mental/emotional peace still available, He'll lead us to it.
--if there's still hope for a good personal future, He'll lead us there, too.


"Just (hang your head and) get used to the bad stuff"? Uh, not me. I'll use these times to prove that, yes! God is still God, He's still good, and He makes ways when there appear to be none. 

He still shines through us so others will be drawn to His light. 

And it's still Him from whom, even in 2018, all blessings flow to those who, through undying hope, receive.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."   ... Jeremiah 29:11


"Do not allow your heart to be troubled..."


******


We did spy a diner on that bleak street, but it just felt too sad to stay there, so we postponed breakfast and drove to the visiting Vietnam War Memorial Wall in our War Memorial Park with grass so dry (seldom have I seen conditions like this) and air so hot and humid on that quiet, somber morning.

Wow, from the car I spied the wall at a distance and as I opened the door, a lump formed in my throat and remained, stinging my eyes, the entire time. 

Tom and I were so glad we went to pay our respects. It felt very, very right.

*****

We still attend the occasional yard or estate sale and I find that I must remind myself to believe for nice, older items. Sales in our Hobbit Cottage area tend to reflect these hard era times. They usually have very little and the items are often newer and cheaply made, as that's what people can afford these days.

But again, I use these trips to keep my believing up, not down.

Fire King custard cups. Only .25 cents each(!) (These were from a super old farmhouse in the country, a bit nearer our own old farmhouse from years ago.)

But this lovely old framed photo was from nearby, in a newer section of younger family homes, even, which reminded me never to assume those sales will have nothing for me.  

Never assume anything. My oh my, do I think of that phrase often!  😉

        Taken some days ago before our lawn dried up. People here, most of them, do not water their lawns. They just don't. They simply wait for rain.
******