The Madness of Hope

Christmas CameToday

Christmas came today when my daughter arrived home from four months in Africa. As she ran down the escalator, her carry on hopping up and down as it was dragged behind her, my heart filled with joy. Even after twenty eight hours of traveling, and a fifteen hour flight with movie screens that were not working, she was full of excitement and smiles.
She seems older. She has a renewed commitment to God, a calling to work with the youth in Africa, and a maturity that comes from serving God and living with a host family. Poverty and hunger are now relative. The sufferings of others are engrained in her heart and memory. She has seen the world through the eyes of Jesus and has been changed.
My hopes in sending her on this trip have been fulfilled. This was all I desired when I tearfully put her on the plane four months ago.
Christmas came today as I realized so many of my prayers have been answered.
Hope is rekindled as I know that God hears my heart’s cry and he will continue to work on the other requests that I have lifted up to him over and over again.
In this season of waiting on the Lord, I continue to ask, believe and expect.