I said to my soul... Wait without hope

 Is there anything more agonizing in life than waiting? It is one of the most common themes in the book of the Psalms. "How long, O lord?" is a common refrain. When we are younger the waiting is usually quickly satisfied... "How long till we get there?" "When are we going to eat?".  With age, the questions get more difficult and the waiting is sometimes LONG and agonizing. Waiting for the wayward child, waiting for the next career promotion, waiting, waiting, waiting, and then some more waiting.

When I was in college, I faced my first LONG encounter with waiting and uncertainty. As I look back on it now, I realize I made a much bigger deal out of it than it deserved, but that's how life works. During that period, I dove into some deep philosophical books on the subject, but it was ultimately a poem that spoke to me in the most impactful way and I have referenced this poem many times in my life..

“I said to my soul, be still and wait without hope, for hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love, for love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith, but the faith and the love are all in the waiting. Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought: So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.” TS Elliot from East Coker

In a previous blog post I talked about how integral faith hope and love are to a meaningful existence and there is deep scriptural truth to that concept. "wait without hope" is a reminder that our hopes need to be examined to be sure that they are properly placed. Hoping in the wrong things or putting too much hope in a particular thing only adds more agony and struggle to the waiting. The same concept is true if our Love is misplaced. We can love the wrong things too much and agony upon agony sets in. So, our faith, hope, and love are all purified in the process of waiting.... IF we use the opportunity to evaluate our hopes and love and reset them.

"Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought." In periods of waiting, we can drive ourselves crazy examining scenarios and trying to make sense of things we have no control over. Peace in times of waiting isn't found by understanding all the machinations going on around us but rather in just being still.. Get comfortable with the darkness. Get comfortable in the not knowing and dance in the stillness! There is freedom there!

Be still and know that he is God...

Faith, Hope, and Love...

In a recent visit with my pastor, we were talking through the struggles and life changes Sondra and I are facing: my job transition (difficult), Sondra's dad passing away (awful), Jay getting married (yippee—but a big change), Josie moving off to college (jury's still out), and a few other things. It has been a lot to cram into a six-week period, to say the least.

I could go on and on about each of these challenges, but that’s not really the point here.

As we processed everything together, Matt asked me a simple question: “How can I help?” Just this morning, I found myself asking a friend who is facing a very difficult life trial that exact same question. It’s an easy question to ask, but a difficult one to answer. My typical response is: “Just pray.” And that’s a good answer—prayer matters—but it often doesn’t feel specific or comforting in the moment.

But this time, I believe the Holy Spirit brought something else to mind—1 Corinthians 13:13:

“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

This verse is often quoted to emphasize the superiority of love over all things. But I think it’s easy to gloss over the vital importance of faith and hope. Paul wasn’t trying to diminish them—he was elevating love in comparison to two other great virtues. After all, love can only be the greatest when compared to other truly great things.

So, my answer this time was this: You can give me faith, hope, and love.

Faith can be exercised on behalf of others—through prayer, through encouragement from God’s Word, and by believing that God is at work even when things feel hopeless. Hope can be something we hold out for others when their own hope seems gone. And truthfully, I don’t think we can love others well unless we also have faith and hope. When faith is lost and hope is gone, what is left but to mourn the loss and try to move on?

Now think about love without faith and hope. What can motivate love to act in the absence of faith and hope. Earlier in the chapter, Paul vividly describes what a life of faith looks like without love—it’s empty, noisy, and ultimately fruitless. But can we really have hope without faith? Paul’s statement that “these three remain” shows the essential nature of all three virtues working together. And if we have faith, hope, and love—what more do we truly need, no matter what life throws our way? Our existence is complete so long as we have these three things.

“The greatest of these is love” shows us that faith and hope are made visible in the way we love others—and in how we allow others to love us. These three are beautifully interwoven. Their symbiotic nature is what helps us live whole, healthy lives—within our families, our churches, our workplaces, and our communities.

So we pray:

Lord, may our lives be filled with these three things—faith, hope, and love.

Poppy

 A couple of years ago, my dear friend Greg Beadles turned me on to Michael Hyatt's life planning resource. At the outset of the planning guide, Hyatt states "A good plan starts with the end in mind." That is true whether you are building a house or taking a road trip. You must define your destination.

On July 4, my dear father-in-law, Louis Eubanks (Poppy), went home to be with the Lord. When he was on his death bed I expressed desires to Sondra to do his funeral message, but the Lord changed my mind to just observe and what I observed taught me more than I could've learned or imparted in preparing a 20 minute tribute.

It started as we brought him home from the hospital to spend his last few days in his home (our home) and the house was FILLED with prayers, food, well-wishers, and lovers of Poppy. In our home —surrounded by family, friends, and so many people whose lives had been touched by Poppy—I saw the kind of ending worth aiming for.

It was not an ending marked by applause, recognition, or great wealth. But a legacy. A life that left a mark.

My eyes were further opened at the viewing and funeral services. What a crowd!! I heard too many kind words to count—stories about how he served, loved, encouraged, and just showed up. Stories from Sunday School classes, ballfields, hospital rooms, classrooms, and quiet moments of friendship. It gave me a fresh vision for what I hope my own life can be.

Poppy lived simply and faithfully—and in doing so, he shaped the lives of everyone around him. He left a mark.

He showed me a great end to aim for. And for that, I’m deeply grateful.