Pastor Ponderings #180: Hope

This plastic frog has spent more than two decades on my desk holding a variety of pens or highlighters in its mouth. Mr. Frog was first introduced to my desk at elementary school in the early 2000s when I was a teacher. I secured him from a local dollar store to lighten up the mood and bring some humor to the dreaded “male teacher” persona I wore.

Mr. Frog has witnessed broken hearts and breakthroughs in math class. He has seen minds changed and perspectives altered during class devotions. Mr. Frog has heard lectures given for poor behavior and praise repeated for good. I’m pretty sure Mr. Frog was present when I announced to my class the passing of my mother when she was just 41 years old. He bore witness to the day our first-born son visited the school.

Mr. Frog endured program practice, the doldrums of grammar, history, social studies and even German class, Ja wohl! He represents for me a wholesome dose of hope. Faithful, reliable, dependable, and thus far, always there. This cheap plastic frog is a lousy shadow of the faithfulness of Jesus. Christ has been more than a silent witness in all of these experiences; He has been a companion and a firm rock in the midst of shifting sands. Mr. Frog has been present without being a presence. Jesus has been a presence that has made a difference by entering into relationship with me. He has invited me to get to know Him more. I love what I’m discovering. Mr. frog has a rather flat personality, Jesus is dynamic and divine!

Frogs do little to support us in times of trouble. The Lord gives hope in the toughest of times. I am reminded of Jerimiah who was known as the weeping prophet. This wasn’t because of perpetual dust in his eyes or a compromised emotional state. He cried out for Israel to repent for 40 years with no response of repentance in that entire time. I would cry too! Yet no frog gave Jerimiah hope,

Lamentations 3:21-26 “This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord.”

Hope is a confident assurance of a future realization of the thing hoped for. It is the determined expectation of the arrival home. Hope does not initiate with each individual testing of faith, but rather, hope has potential to be strengthened, deepened and more certain by each testing of faith. Hope is the long-term goal waiting to be realized. Hope is what keeps you holding on and pressing forward over the course of time for the prize of the high calling of Jesus Christ. All frogs aside, Jesus gives us hope.