“Of One Thing I Am Perfectly Sure:

God’s Story Never Ends with Ashes”

— Elisabeth Elliot

I’m looking at the Kaleidoscope on my desk. It’s handmade by a stained glass artist.  I see the capsule of broken glass pieces facing me – colors of blue, green, purple, and red.  Their sharpness takes me back. I remember the raw edges of pain, the shattering of my heart.

Perhaps you feel it now and you’re wondering what to do with all those broken pieces. In the moment, we want to turn back the clock, resist the reality we’re facing, or just scream from the pain we cannot define.

It might seem difficult to imagine any good coming after this. For the moment you might just need to survive.

But, I can tell you that God is faithful. He’s with you. He will be your friend that sticks closer than a brother. He is the God of compassion who will hold and comfort you. You will never be alone because God will never leave you or forsake you. You might have a hard time envisioning it now, but God works for your good, He turns beauty from ashes, makes the desert grow, and He will bring joy again. No word of God can be thwarted, and that includes His promises to you.  In Him, we find our hope.

What can you do?  Still your heart and know that He is God.  Surrender, trust, and follow Him. He will lead you by streams of still waters and restore your soul. Yield to Him and he will make something good even out of your pain.

In time you will see a kaleidoscope of beauty, from all those broken pieces.

“May the LORD bless you and keep you;
may he make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
may the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace. ”

— Numbers 6:24-25

(Additional scripture references: Psalm 33:4, Proverbs 18:24, Psalm 116:5, Deut. 31:8, Romans 8:28, Isaiah 61:3, Isaiah 43:19, Job 42:2, 1 Tim. 4:10, Psalm 46:10, Psalm 62:8, Deut. 13:4, Psalm 23).

“Hope is the thing with feathers

that perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops at all.”

— Emily Dickinson

My imagination comes alive reading this excerpt from a poem by Emily Dickinson. It pulls together two loves of mine: beautiful writing and steadfast hope. I can imagine hope flying, perching, and singing like a songbird. I love the idea of hope perching in my soul, not stopping, but enduring.

We can put our hope in a lot of things: people, circumstances, our desires. But do you know that hope placed in God is another matter altogether? It’s strong. It’s confident. It’s an anchor for our soul.

Hope is a confident expectation in God and His Word.

Who do you know that is full of hope? I bet they see the world through a lens of faith trusting God to work for their good in difficult circumstances. Their sights are set on heaven where God will bring justice and glory to our world. And this assurance … they KNOW in their bones. 

These heroes of the faith have likely been through a hefty trial or two. Their faith has been tested and they’ve experienced God as he says he is … strong, faithful, and closer than a brother. Do you know their stories? He’s made Himself real to them, so real, there is no doubt. Now, God is not like a fairy godmother or godfather granting every wish, but He’s good, so good. In fact, His love never fails.

If you read the verse below, it talks about how we can glory in our suffering, not for suffering's sake, but because of its result. And what is the result of our suffering?

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. ”

— Romans 5:3-4

If you have hope, can you trace it back to suffering? Or, if you are presently suffering, will you press on knowing God will keep you through your trials and transform you into a person full of perseverance, character, and hope? Stay strong and keep your faith. 

Perhaps someday, our hope, though forged in the fire and as tough as nails, will be able to sing, carefree as a bird, perched in our soul.