Hope!

Amy Treece in North Carolina wrote this devotion in 2003. I found great comfort in it today and thought it good to share with you all.

I served for two weeks in Haiti with a medical-relief team. During this period, I talked with some of the Haitian people about the state of their country. They were frustrated with the political unrest that forces many of their people to live in poverty, sickness, and hunger. Yet the Haitians I met were a faithful, honest, and generous people, even amid the despair around them. They clung to hope for the future and to their faith in God.

The Haitian proverb, "Lespwa fe viv" ("Hope makes us live"), came to mind when one of the Haitian men stated that the immediate hope of the country lies in the Christian missions. While international governments often address Haiti with their own agenda in mind, mission groups demonstrate a real interest in the good of the people and are reviving villages and communities one step at a time.

Such work is appropriate for us who are Christians. We have been given a never-ending hope in Jesus Christ. It is fitting that we give hope to others out of the same grace that we have received.

"For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope." - Jeremiah 29:11 (NRSV)

Thank You for your prayers for our little guy and thank you for demonstrating hope in so many ways. As we read in Romans 5, may we never forget and always remember hope endures all things! You know I love ya, Don