Hope springs eternal in the human breast. Until it doesn’t. Until the struggles and burdens, the trials and scars squeeze that hope into a tiny bubble.  

There was a season in my life when losses and disappointments followed each other like ducks in a line. Our teammates were all leaving the field, the business was struggling, my husband was the responsible to “figure it all out” for the ministry, and we had just adopted our youngest child (a beautiful and disruptive event in our family when extra hands to help and arms to hold me would have made such a difference.) I had to let go of roles that were important to me, my world became very small, and I felt very alone. 

Hope was not an overflowing river in my heart.  

Tattooed on my wrist is the word “espera.” This is the Spanish verb meaning “to wait” and “to hope.” Yes, the same word for both actions. Do you feel your heart quicken? I don’t know Hebrew but these two verbs may have been similar in Hebrew as well. 

For example, the passage in Isaiah 40:31, some translations say “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength,” while other translations say “Those who wait for the Lord.” One bible I often use gives a footnote to be able to provide both actions. 

I have the same footnote for Psalm 119:147: “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words and I have put my hope in Your words. I wait and hope for you.” (Italics mine) 

We wait with hope. We put our hope in Him, not in our ability to make things happen. 

These two verbs held together changes the way I read Lamentations 3:21-23: 

“I recall this to my mind, 

Therefore I wait. (Or have hope) 

The Lord’s acts of mercy indeed do not end, 

For His compassions do not fail. 

They are new every morning; 

Great is Your faithfulness.” 

The season was still hard and left me with scars that I hope will still heal (footnote: or wait for the Lord to heal). But waiting and hoping in the Lord brought times of comfort and purpose that a change in circumstances could never have provided. 

We wait, hoping in God’s loving-kindness that never fails.