Friday, May 14, 2010

Hope Springs Eternal


Hope springs eternal in the human breast;
Man never Is, but always To be blest:
The soul, uneasy and confin'd from home,
Rests and expatiates in a life to come.
-from "An Essay On Man"
by Alexander Pope


The above two pictures were taken yesterday. I had just gone to an appointment with my son at the Children's Hospital (which we must do at least once a week now) and as always, we stop by our church afterwards. I love walking around the grounds, reading the walk of faith stones, and drawing a sort of "spiritual renewal" I get from the serenity of the surroundings there. This also gives me a chance to go down to the Memorial Gardens and have a little "visit" with my brother. As you may know, he died unexpectedly this past Christmas Eve, and I am still working on coming to terms with the shock and adjustment of his sudden passing. But at least I am able to go to this beautiful place where I can feel close to him and reflect on things.

Anyway, after my time with him yesterday, as I came up the steps from the cemetery, feeling the warmth of the sunshine and the breeze through the palm trees, and hearing the sound of many birds singing, I turned to my right and was taken aback by the beautiful view in front of me. It was almost as if I was seeing this place for the first time- in that it was so breathtakingly beautiful. I actually thought to myself that this may well be the most glorious weather I have ever experienced, and combined with the spectacular church buildings, statues and grounds, I felt as if this might just be a little bit of Heaven on Earth.

Only moments before, I was feeling heavy hearted, missing my brother and once again asking "Why". But as I stopped to take in the moment, I was reminded of hope. I was also filled with the feeling of eternity. The assurance of eternity which can only come from our Heavenly Father. I know my brother loved Jesus Christ, and I know he is with Him now. I have the assurance that I too, will someday be there and will never have to miss my brother again. Ever. But for now I am here on Earth, where there is hope...

.... and Spring! :-) God has given us so much beauty here! And you can find it right outside your own front door!
This morning, after taking my daughter to school I found a little "hidden treasure". I couldn't help but notice the fabulous bright color of the bougainvillea right alongside our house. And as I walked up towards my front door, I decided to take a closer look. That is when I found a single, closed red rose- and a couple of big, opened pink ones, too. I never noticed them before. I guess I hadn't really been looking.
Yes, hope does spring eternal. But we need to open our eyes- and our hearts to it.




4 comments:

Betty: Reflections with Coffee said...

Sweet!

Unknown said...

Aww hun, what a beautiful thing the Lord laid upon your heart to see the warmth. He has His arms wrapped around you, isn't that such a wonderful feeling to see the beauty of things that we see often and don't think twice about. The flowers are gorgeous too, I just love how when things look drab outside and you look over and see a stem of color, God is such an amazing artist! Have a wonderful day hun!

Anonymous said...

Those photos are gorgeous Sarah! Hope you have a blessed day!!
Hugs
Lidia

Jacqueline (Scraps of Life) said...

Isn't it amazing how God uses such simple and unexpected things to remind us of hope and of His constant presence? Continue to rest in Him and He will bring you peace and comfort. Your photos are brilliant, and thank you for sharing your heart with us.