Hope

Jeremiah 29:11-14a
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord.

The bold words of this passage are the part most people are familiar with. As a matter of fact, these words were the only part I remember memorizing or hearing anyone quote. My dorm floor at college even put these words on the back of one of our t-shirts one year. I wore it until it virtually fell apart. Every now and then I read the words on the back.

This verse has come to my mind a lot recently. What my family has been through the last ten years, and even more so the last couple of months, has felt like harm. We can physically feel the pain and longing for something better. We have felt feelings that don't even stand on the scale of prosperity.

Then today I read the couple of verses following this passage. Jeremiah 12-14a says, "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord.

I don't know what my future on earth holds. But, He has given me a reason to hope for my future. He has my daughter.