Ultimate Hope

I'm feeling a little off-kilter this week. Turns out it was a not-so-good week to not have a menu plan. Creative cooking requires creative thinking, and I have had a hard time pulling together my thoughts to focus on creating a recipe out of odds and ends. Instead there has been much praying and wondering, going through my days with a heavy heart. For the second time in less than a month a far-away but much-loved relative is in the hospital and it's hard to say what the outcome may be. And to clarify, that's two different individuals, both situations very unexpected. 

The thought has come to mind that even though I am often thankful for my health, and the health of my family, it's not the thing I should cling to or put my hope in. Even though we do spend a lot of time trying to be healthy, there are still no guarantees, and a life overly-centered around bodily health is still missing the point. My ultimate hope is in Christ. 

1 Peter 1:3 - Praise be the the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection. 

The proof of Jesus' love, the cross, stands stark and irrefutable against all the tragedy of the world.  --Elisabeth Elliot