Day 18: Hope-full

Each Thursday night we gather around a table to share a meal with friends from our church community. Tonight we got to host and enjoy the spring weather by eating outside on the deck. As we shared life happenings and prayer updates it felt for me an interesting tension of deeply challenging things happening in all our lives combined with a persistence of hope. In the midst of sharing the heavy things of this past week- Virginia Tech's 6th anniversary of the 4/16 tragedy, the bombings in Boston, and the shooting at our NRV Community College- most noticeably on our minds, there was also a sense of community and support- and hope.

I took this photo from our front porch on April 5th, the morning after we had ~7inches of snow drop- in April! It was just two days before Street Fair and I was encouraged to see the daffodils push through. 

 As I walked by a bus stop on campus this afternoon I saw this sign taped to a recycle bin. What an amazing note of encouragement in the midst of a heavy week. I've seen a lot of re-postings this week on Facebook of the Mr. Rogers quote- looking for the helpers in the midst of a disaster. I really resonated with my friend Katie's reflections on her blog here about this week and connections to these communities who have experienced pain.

It is so good to be reminded by nature itself in this season of spring that there is always new growth and a new day. While I slept last night the world around me continued to blossom. Hope springs eternal.