Big Girls Need a Hope Chest, Too

We couldn’t afford a brand new one, so we shopped all the used furniture stores and pawn shops, until we finally found a beautiful Lane, cedar-lined hope chest. That was two Christmases ago when she first opened the lid and the chest was empty.

Now she’s sporting the young man’s diamond on her left finger, and the cedar lining of that chest is hidden by bowls and dish towels and rubber spatulas.

Treasures tucked away one at a time –waiting for that day.

In fact, all those “someday” house goodies overflowed the walls of that chest and started piling up in my girl’s closet.

She’d better get married soon.

I was thinking of her hope chest after I got the phone call yesterday that a precious friend had passed away in the afternoon.

Oh Aunt Beth, I love you.

An hour after that call, I was standing in church singing these words…

This is what you do.

This is what you do.

You make me come alive.

It’s like I’m livin’ for the first time.

And right there, standing by my preacher man, I’m opening up the lid and breathing in the cedar where all my hopes in Christ are stored. Hope that Jesus gives people life.

My friend is alive.

I will live.

And I clench my fists and curl up with a begging prayer over that chest. Dear Jesus, someday I will be with you. Help me tuck away everything I need in here to make my home with you. Help me store up the relationships and the good works -all the love and forgiveness and grace. 

Because someday it’s going to be my body in the casket and my soul resting both hands in yours. For real.

Someday.

This is what you do. You make me come alive.

All my hope is in you, Lord Jesus.