Hope

I saw a picture of a railroad track.
It stretched into the distance and wrapped its path around a bend into the unknown.
The forested land to the left and right hid secrets of the wild.
Late afternoon beams of sunlight pointed down from the sky to highlight the scene.
Peace spoke.
There was something serene about the scene.
An area deserted, but for my own presence. And that of something greater.
It was as if I was standing on the track, alone, but not.
And I became curious.
Where did the track lead?
What was around that bend?
And in my mind's eye, I took a step.
A step further than where I had been.
A step into some place where I did not know.
And the track continued on.
Sitting down I paused and stared at the puzzle before me ~ what was up ahead.
All I could think of was hope.
Hope was beyond the curve in the track.
Hope for what, I didn't know.
And that was the enigma.
For how can you hope for something when you don't know for what you are hoping?
Yet, the mystery of hope is just that.
The deeper knowing of hope goes past what we wish for and transcends into the place of trust.
The track continues on into what we cannot see.
And there, peace resides, if we allow it.
This place where trust holds you on the track, even when the unknown curves meet you.

Something about old railway tracks captures my imagination and my sense of wonder.
Who has traveled here before me?
What did they meet?
Where did it take them?
What adventure did they have?

And hope leads.
Leads to new unknowns.
Leads to answers to questions.
Leads to purpose.
Leads to trusting Someone greater than self.

That unknown place of hope brings us to the known place of love.

"Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." (Romans 8:24-25, NIV)

"Hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows." (Ps.130:7, NLT)