hope

Ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς ἐλπίδος πληρώσαι ὑμᾶς πάσης χαρᾶς καὶ εἰρήνης ἐν τῷ πιστέυειν, εἰς τὸ περισσεύειν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἐλπίδι ἐν δυνάμει πνεύματος ἁγίου

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." 

Romans 15:13

When I was commissioned (and ordained) a little over a year ago by our beautiful church, one of our pastors (Rod) prayed this verse over me.  I put the original Greek text, because I think Greek is such a pretty language. I love seeing the letters, so I thought I'd post it as well. 

Rod knows I have struggled to be a woman who hopes.  I am a very emotional woman (ESFP for those Meyers Briggs peeps), but was raised in a very intellectual house where emotions were highly un-valued.  God has been trying to teach me not to shut down out of being "realistic", but to continue to hope in him, his goodness, and love even through the deepest disappointments and pain.  That has been an extremely difficult path, but one I wouldn't ever trade for my old, numbed-out life.  

Today hit on many things and left me feeling very hopeless...like I had some choice in fixing all the things wrong with the world and life.  I prayed with a friend, and she helped me to see my sin in thinking I had control of any of it, instead of begging God to step in or just to cry out to him.  

Joy and peace come as we trust in him, and only by the power of the Holy Spirit can we overflow with hope...according to what's written above...  I have pondered this verse for the past year, and it always seems that God slowly peels back the layers on how to live in it.  I confess I don't live it in well or easily.  How to be a people who hope in the Lord, despite our BROKEN world? 

...I'm praying that you and I can be filled with all joy and peace as we trust in him...