Pouring.

The hope/disappointment tension. Again, it's not like I woke up this morning with this clear awareness that one of the great challenges to living this current, earth-bound life is facing the tension between the varied, but specific hopes and the potential disappointments that many times follows. But were I to slip into one my "thinking appointments" that I have scheduled on my calendar, it is clearly real. Much of the time, avoiding this tension will keep my day lighter and brighter, but inevitably, times come where facing disappointment is front and center. Hard to avoid. And it sucks. It's real.

As I spent time with student friends this weekend, I tried to really think about how this plays out in my life in real, actual ways. Not just cute or dramatic illustrations. As I slowed to think, these were past or current hope/disappointment intersections I pondered.

I really hope my team wins. I'm disappointed when they lose.

I really need a specific score on the ACT test. I'm disappointed that I don't get it.

I like this particular girl in middle school. I'm disappointed that she doesn't like me.

I would really like for all the students at our church to want to be a part of our youth group. I'm disappointed that they don't.

I long for Lea's mom to end her wilderness of dementia and meet Jesus in heaven. I'm disappointed that her toil on the earth with disease continues.

Your turn. If you plopped into a "thinking appointment" for a half hour today, what would some of your hope/disappointment intersections be?

Now. This could head in an unhealthy direction. This could escort you or I into a tail spin of despair and at least some moments of bitterness and ingratitude. And though that is not my heart or intention for you as I prompt these thoughts today, I realize it is a potential path. Even though that path is possible, I feel like acknowledging the disappointment of today is valuable. It helps me know that I am not just a total fake within my own self.

That being established, will hope always lead to disappointment? I am not proclaiming any expertise or demonstrative clarity as I write today. But the reason I do write now is primarily to remind myself of things that I taught and thought about this past weekend. And further, to think thoughts primarily contained in the words of God. That place for me this past week was the Bible book of Romans, chapter 5, verses 1 through 5.

"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 rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us."

Is there a hope that does not disappoint? Yes.

How does that work? I do not know.

It is higher than I. Right smack in the middle of my growing list of hope/disappointment intersections, and yours, God declares that His love poured out on you, on me, makes a difference. Yes. One day, when we are face to face with Jesus, hope will be reality and we will not be disappointed.

But can we live not disappointed today?

Thinking appointment:)

The poured out has already happened. The not disappointed is available today. I know I'm not experiencing it to the fullness that I will when Face to Face. But hope will stop being hope on that day. Hope will then be reality. We will no longer need hope then. WE WILL BE FULFILLED FACE TO FACE. So the hope not disappointing must be for today and all the other before Face to Face days.

We can hope and not be disappointed before the Face to Face?

We can hope and not be disappointed before the Face to Face.

Nothing about us other than being the recipients of being poured on.

Nothing.

I don't understand how this happens.

I believe this happens.

I'm so thankful this happens.

He pours.

His love.

By His Spirit.

Whom He Has given us.

And so it's a day before Face to Face.

There's more.