Hope Now

I have been listening to the most amazing music, songs that I feel are written just for me to hear. One of my new favorites, Hope Now by Addison Road, is the greatest chorus to get stuck in your head and sing all day long. I hope you enjoy it's message. 

If everything comes down to love
Then just what am I afraid of
When I call out Your name
Something inside awakes in my soul
How quickly I forget I'm Yours

I'm not my own
I've been carried by You
All my life

Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free

And when my life is like a storm
Rising waters all I want is the shore
You say I'll be ok
Make it through the rain
You are my shelter from the storm

Brett wrote me letters that got pushed back in the mail due to the Thanksgiving break. He seems discouraged, down and lonely. His other recruit-mates that came from the same recruiting office have all been sent home or to a different platoon. He is the only that remains of that group. He feels like he can't do right, and he can do a whole lot of wrong. He feels broken, alone and defeated. I can't explain the heartache that is taking over my soul. I want so badly to reach out to him, to comfort him and to reassure him that he is nothing but amazing! All I can do is write silly letters, that take days to get to him. I can't stand to listen to people complain about their mundane lives, while I am sitting in the midst of such a roller coaster. I searched the Bible for something, praying that God would speak a verse to me that I could share with Brett. My heart was brought to Matthew 25:14-30, and the story of the talents on loan from God. 

I wrote this verse to Brett in my letter, Matthew 25:23,  "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' I know that this verse is taken out of context, and that the Parable has so much more to it but my point was this: 

No matter what you do, it may never be good enough for USMC. That doesn't matter. What matters, in the end, is that when you meet Jesus- He will say "Well done, good and faithful servant." In all things- in every march, in every cadence, in every push up, in every yell, in every hurt, in every tear- give them every reason to think, "Well done, good and faithful Marine." As I was writing this to encourage him, I found my heart lightened and lifted. I swallowed my own advice- in every conversation, in every interaction, in everything I do- give everyone reason to think "Well done, good and faithful servant."