Cradle of hope

Cradle of hope

In God, we find a cradle of hope.

We are not alone; he will never desert us.

He always loves us and always works for our good.

He will not succumb to our complaining, wheedling or manipulation,

But will remain true to himself and keep calling us to his standards.

He speaks complete truth and will not let us distort it.

He demands justice and will not let us forget it.

He judges against us when we deserve it,

But always to direct us to life.

He is always ready to forgive us,

Even when we cannot forgive ourselves.

When our own strength is exhausted, his is not.

When despair engulfs our hopes, his still shine brightly.

He has a remarkable ability to bring good out of evil.

He can heal us, even when we thought the wound was fatal.

He can make us clean, no matter how filthy we have become.

When someone dirty touches him, he is not tainted, but the person is purified.

He brings people together; we find our unity in him.

His love overcomes all barriers and obstacles.

He creates the grounds for new beginnings.

He vindicates us, even when no-one else does.

When justice is denied us, he reassures us that the ultimate decisions lie with him.

When others belittle us, he lifts us up.

He loves peace.

He opens our eyes to what life is really for.

He shows us what fullness of life is like.

He becomes a spring of life within us,

Refreshing, invigorating, empowering.

When we experience his presence, we find the ultimate,

The answer to all our questions and longing;

Life in all its fullness is ours.

We can die happy, knowing that nothing of importance has been denied us,

We have not failed in the living of our lives,

Our lives are fulfilled, complete, whole.

In a world of cruel injustice, he suffers with us.

Every tear that falls from our eyes is matched by his.

Our impotent rage, he not only understands, but chooses to share.

But patiently he tends our wounds, and will not give in to hate –

Not that you want to cross him; his judgement is just, clear and fierce;

He looks at us and he does not blink.

But as for me, I would just hate and condemn and hurt,

But he is still looking for reconciliation.

When we are weary of crying and can feel no more,

He continues, and drinks the cup to the last drop.

And still he loves.

He directs us how to live our lives.

He is so much more creative, original and joyful than us.

He surprises us.

He always gives us the gifts we need to live the life he shows us.

He enriches us beyond measure, and teaches us how to measure what is worthwhile.

He opens our eyes,

And our hearts and minds,

And he fills all of them with good things.

He has a path for us to follow,

A path that is his and ours at the same time.

The difficulty of keeping to the path is what shapes us into his likeness,

And makes us whole.

The love given and received on this path is what enriches us.

Thus he gives our lives meaning and purpose.

He fills us with joy and peace and love.

Though we stray, he always searches us out, and will not rest till he has rescued us.

All our past, and future, failures are redeemed by him and shaped into something good.

How does he do all these things?

He has no money, or worldly position of power; no armies obey his orders.

I have never seen a miracle; nature unfolds according to its own laws.

He has only one avenue to achieve his will.

He speaks in our minds and stirs our hearts.

He joins us together and shows us what we have at our disposal to share.

He calls us to follow him; to live with him; to be with him.

He empowers us with his vision.

He gives us hope.