A Boy, His Glove, And His First Game

Is there anything that better illustrates the power of hope than a boy, his glove, and his first baseball game? After his first impression of the diamond, the manicured outfield, the smell of hot dogs, and the ambient sound of the greatest game ever invented, he carefully starts scouting out his environment, his position as related to home plate, the height of those around him, and the direction of the rays of the sun. 

Satisfied that he has processed all of the external variables, he shifts to his own preparation. Tugging on his cap, he wipes the sweat off his palms, and starts mentally building the moment when the ball is heading his way, void of any interference, almost laser-like in its journey to his waiting glove. He hears the sound of the ball landing in his glove, he feels the recoil of his glove as he tightens his hand around his new treasure, scuffed but fresh off the diamond of a real baseball game, with real players, and his dreams start to assemble in clarity like nothing he has experienced before. 

Confident that his relic has been properly secured, a smile appears, giving anyone who sees it the impression that it is continually growing on his face. This is what true victory feels like, this is what it means to see one's dream come true, this is what its like to hope for something so strongly that it becomes a taste, a smell, a tangible moment that for so long has been just out-of-reach but is soon to become the best reality you could have imagined. 

Hope realized.

The Bible describes that same kind of hope that is available for all of us, the kind of hope that will never let you down. Only instead of a dream that might only last a lifetime, or a treasured memory that might fade, the Bible offers a hope that is eternal, that will never perish, that will fulfill us in ways we cannot even imagine.  

"There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." - Proverbs 23:18

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." -  2 Corinthians 4:18

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:21-23

Today let's vow to appreciate the gifts that He has given us to enjoy, without forsaking the purpose and priority of why we were created. We trust in the One who promises us eternal life, where our dreams will never be unfulfilled, and our treasures will never be stolen. We trust in the One who created all, sustains all, and promises all for His children.