I knew what was coming. I could have prevented it, but it was all a blur. Everything moved in slow motion, yet it happened in an instant. It is really surprising how fast a 1-year-old can knock their entire bowl of food off the tray, onto the floor. Last night it happened in dramatic fashion. Jahnabell swiped her bowl right off her tray and it exploded when it hit the floor. It was on the wall, floor, chair, table, and it also somehow hit me in the shoulder. Spaghetti does that you know. Mealtime is war. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, every one is a battle. It's the good fight. The good war. But, let me say this: The best is yet to come.
The best is yet to come.
Here's why I believe this: We can cherish every moment God has given us: the attempted cleaning of tomato sauce from my light-gray hoodie and the typing of a sentence. We can take joy in these things because of the eternal hope we are promised through Jesus. Hope is what we all long for. In Romans Paul talks about this hope:
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:1-4
Cleaning spaghetti off the floor is not suffering, (I guess) but the promise of an eternal hope in Christ Jesus makes every-day menial tasks, like cleaning up after toddlers or writing emails, a joyful activity. Throughout the day, these little things seem to get in the way of other (more important) activities, but these little events in life are actually the conduit through which flow perseverance, character, and then hope. I am thankful this Christmas that we can be reminded of this hope through Christ. God sent His son to save us from endless wandering and searching. He brought us from darkness to light and gave us hope eternal.
The best is yet to come.
