hope

i try to keep things that i post superficial, but i kinda felt like sharing a little bit deeper today...

this past week, i've been reminded of the sin and ugliness that are so prevalent in this world. from a situation that involved myself directly, to hearing the deep confessions of a close friend, to receiving an e-mail from a friend in israel assuring us that she was okay, and pastor erwin sharing about a mosaic family in lebanon on the opposite side of that same conflict. reading the news about the destruction and violence in that part of the world, feeling frustration with the north korea situation, then reading about yet another tsunami killing hundreds in indonesia...and thinking of all the violence and conflicts in the world that don't make the news, the deaths due to disease and famine every single day, the harshness of life that i fail to recognize most of the time, safe in my little bubble.

it hurts to think about these things. i feel a burden that weighs heavily...and though i believe in God's sovereignty completely, that assurance doesn't always seem to provide enough comfort...there's just so much hurt and pain and injustice in this world...

but then again, given how i feel knowing such a miniscule amount, how much more does His heart break for the world? and the heaviness that i feel...He felt infinite times that on the cross. it's amazing that He sees everything - the incredible, unimaginable ugliness of mankind - things that we can't even begin to imagine - happening billions and billions of times over again throughout history...and He still loves us. He still chose us. He still longs for us.

in the darkness, there are rays of light and hope. it reminds me of how creation groans and longs for that day, and my heart joins in...