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.