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. Romans 8:24-25
Hope and wait. It happens a lot in life, right? We hope and wait for the surgeon to meet us after a loved one’s surgery. We hope and wait for the recruiter to call us back after the job interview. We hope and wait for the oven timer to go off.
Paul reminds us that in hope we were saved. That’s placing our hope – our full hope – in Jesus. This hope is something the scriptures help us practice, as others have before us. The hope of reconciliation, the hope of redemption, the hope of resurrection.
In my opening days of traveling along the roadways of the Gateway District, I have noticed a good number of construction barrels ushering me to stay in my lane. They are all a standard size, yet they all appear in various conditions. Some look brand new, and some are beat up. Some are brighter, while some are dulled. Some have been damaged, and some have fallen over. Some stand proud, while others stand humbly. In all their differences, they do have a common trait. They wait. They wait for traffic to pass. They wait for construction to proceed. They wait when rain falls, when winds blow, when the sun rises and falls. Every day. Every hour. Every minute. They wait.
The state has been busy projecting, preparing and producing I-295 (https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/fayetteville-outer-loop/Pages/default.aspx), which will be a 39-mile outer loop around Fayetteville. There are multiple sightings of construction barrels all over the region, as this project has a target date of May 2026 for completion. Near our home, there’s a specific area where you can see land being cleared to make way for the interstate. I imagine many commuters hope and wait for a time where they can travel down the off ramp, reaching their destination more efficiently and quickly.
As I enter this season of serving with you, I hope and wait for that which we cannot see. I place my hope in Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who knows a thing or two about construction. I trust Jesus will continue to lead us all in the projects ahead.
I am eager to hope and wait alongside you in the seasons before us, and look forward to growing in grace beside you all.
Blessings,
David