TREE OF LIFE

Ancient wisdom tells us that Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is like a tree of life. We are 59 days from 2021 and this year has made many of us feel heartsick. We have hoped for health and prosperity yet many of our neighbors and fellow citizens have experienced the opposite.

We are on the precipice of a new chapter in our history. This chapter will be new for you personally and for our nation historically. As I write this, I feel hope bubbling up once again. The hope that I have is not based on change but rather on the fact that the things that matter have remained.

The past 9 months have helped us realize the need for personal connection in the midst of the “I” revolution. iPhone, iPad, I this and I that. The hope that has ultimately been differed is the one that yearns for deep human connection. Zoom rooms have been a real gift during this time but they fall far short of the family rooms our souls most deeply require.

The most difficult part of differed hope is anticipating if it will be met. The moment when heart sickness is met with hope and fulfillment is usually when we let go.  Letting go takes intentionality. When we let go, we often find ourselves sitting under a tree of life with our family and friends.