Romans 8:24-25

For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

When I think of the future

these days, I am mostly afraid,

or anxious and doubtful.

The future is unknown

and the unknown right now,

seems vast and expansive,

a whole, dark universe

without a single star.

In the past, I have looked

to the future with hope.

I have dreamed sweet dreams

of the things that have yet to be.

But now, such daydreams seem

like a luxury only children can afford.

To invest in hope seems risky and foolish.

And besides, what can I do when

the only currency in my pocket is fear?

Even so, even as I stand there, staring

into the vast unknown, I wonder if it’s true.

I wonder if I am completely hopeless,

or if there remains a few pennies of hope,

hidden under the couch cushions

or lost and forgotten in the pockets

of the jeans I wore last winter.

Invested well, even the smallest bit of

hope can grow into the richest treasure.

Fear is plentiful but worthless.

But hope—even the tiniest amount—

is invaluable.

Yes, the unknown is the unknown,

impossible to see or predict.

We know nothing about the future,

but this—God is there waiting.

He is always there waiting.

Every path, every road you have

ever taken has always led to God.

God, our Omnipresent, Divine Host,

is with you in all times.  

Having carried you in the past,

He walks with you now in the present,

even as He waits for you in the future.

Always.

And knowing that—holding onto that—

gives me permission to dare,

to dare to dream, to dare to hope. 

Amen.