Hope, No Matter What

(our theme for September)

 

Isaiah 61:3

and provide for those who grieve in Zion -- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness.

 

Dolly Parton once said: “the way I see it, if you want a rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”

I can remember being a young child and hoping for the weather to cooperate on days when something big was planned, whether it be a pool party or in my brother’s case, a soccer game. I’ve even held onto this hope for the weather to cooperate in my teenage and adult years, whether it be for band competitions or even my high school and college graduations.

 

On the other hand, I can also remember times where the weather did not cooperate and the disappointment of having events be rained out. While at the time, I grieved these events being postponed due to the weather, I was also able to hold onto a glimmer of hope that they would be rescheduled to a later date, or simply have it’s starting time delayed.  

 

Looking back on these instances from the perspective of my 22-year-old self, I’ve come to find that while I was sad about the rain at the time, just how much beauty there is in these instances. Most notably through being able to see the sun poke out from behind the clouds as the rain begins to slow down, which brings forth the possibility of seeing a rainbow.

 

Much like the prisoners grieving in Zion, it is easy to feel hopeless in times of grief, or as if we are trapped in inclement weather. But, as we as Christians know, a rainbow after a storm serves as a reminder of God’s promise not to forsake us and of his love for us. In other words, amidst a storm, there is beauty in seeing the sun poke out from behind the clouds and a rainbow lighting up the sky, which allows us to feel joy and hope as opposed to remaining riddled with sadness and hopelessness. If we choose to instill that there is always a glimmer of hope amidst our grief as God would never forsake us, putting up with the rain can become less difficult.

 

Prayer:

God, help us to always remember that in times of grief and inclement weather, there is always beauty and praise in your love shining through, much like a rainbow. Help us to always hold onto this hope. Amen.

This devotional was written and recorded by Grace Jonas.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. 

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.