…and hope does not disappoint us. But oh how hope can tease us, taking its own sweet time to show up, wandering first through suffering, endurance and character, seeming to spend lots of time at suffering as one’s world falls apart, layer by layer. Perhaps there’s a small glimpse of hope as endurance begins, figuring “if I can just stick it out a little longer things will get better.” But endurance takes its own sweet time as well, building up endurance I suppose, a sense of “stick-with-it-ness.” And then comes character – but what kind of character I ask? I often feel like it’s not a character ‘pleasing unto You.’ But You are gracious and patient, reminding me that this process is about being honest with myself, not about perfection. The journey is about authenticity, about bringing all of me to the relationship – all the parts I don’t like, and remembering You accept them all – anger, fear, rage, envy, unmet needs and dreams, sadness. And therein lies our hope: Your grace is sufficient for every single part of our lives however significant or insignificant they may seem. Your thyme is not our thyme. And the journey is not a direct path, a neat and tidy road trip. Neither was Good Friday.
Hope does not disappoint us. It may be a long time coming, but it’s like a mustard seed of faith, somehow enough for the journey.
With much hope, The Alchemist 
Back Road Journey 