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Hope is the magic ingredient
-- Romans 8:18-28
When the obituary for 80-year-old Katie McDonald appeared in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press several years ago, it contained all kinds of praise for her virtues, but it also highlighted some of her eccentricities.
One paragraph said: "She was preceded in death by the father of their four children, Charles Alan McDonald, whom she loved to her dying day, and her beloved family pets: Simon the Siamese cat; Peanut, the wiener dog; Sugar the howling dog; Daisy, the very special-extremely-important-stray dog; and most notably, Jack her darling mutt who lost his tail in an unfortunate accident, whereupon Mom saved the tail in the freezer '. . . just in case . . .'" "(go figure)."
Another pointed out, "She left behind a load of stuff her family doesn't know what to do with." (There's a list of these miscellaneous items and then this notice: "Anyone interested in [these items] please wait the appropriate amount of time to reach out. Tomorrow should be fine.")
After listing her church where friends would be received and a service held, there was this final notice: "Finally, the family asks that, in lieu of flowers, please write to your congressman and ask for the repeal of Daylight Savings Time. We think Mom would like it if we were all on the Lord's time."
I don't know about repealing Daylight Savings Time, but I found that to be quite a refreshing approach to the death of a loved one who evidently had a good life and a strong faith, who loved her family, her pets, and her God. That's the way a Christian's death should be greeted. There should be a celebration of a life well-lived, and an anticipation of a life now lived in the presence of a loving God. That brings us hope--Christian hope.
Years ago, in his book Success through a Positive Mental Attitude, business writer Napoleon Hill shared a story about a successful cosmetic manufacturer -- Charles Revson, the founder of the Revlon cosmetic company--who decided he'd retire at the age of sixty-five. Each year thereafter, his friends and former business associates gave him a birthday party and tried to find out the secret of his success; the "secret" for his special cosmetic formula. But year after year he refused, good-naturedly, to reveal his secret.
"Maybe I'll tell you next year," he'd say.
This went on for ten years until the businessman celebrated his seventy-fifth birthday. As usual, his associates begged him to share the secret formula with them so they could continue the business after his death. Finally, he yielded to their insistence.
"In addition to the things which I use which are commonly known," he said, "there's one secret ingredient I package with every bottle." By this time, everyone at the party was listening with rapt attention.
"What is it?" an anxious friend inquired. "Please, don't keep us in suspense any longer."
Revson replied: "I never told a woman my product would make her beautiful, but I always gave her hope."
"Hope," he said, "is the magic ingredient."
Well, hope is the magic ingredient -- whether in life or in death, in good times or times of sorrow. The magic ingredient is the assurance that regardless of how challenging things may be, God is sovereign and as Paul says in Romans 8:18, 28, "Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Because we can "know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." That's hope. Think about that for a moment. This is what hope is all about. It's the admission that while the present times may be heart-wrenching, if we trust in God, better days lie ahead.
Paul knew none of us gets through life without wrestling with some daunting challenges. Consider the early Christian community. They faced horrific circumstances at times, yet they never gave in to doubt and fear. They knew God was with them, and he would see them through. They embodied Paul's words--their "present sufferings were not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." How else could they keep going if they didn't have that hope?
Years ago, a husband, wife, and their grown son emigrated from Sicily to southern Illinois. There both father and son found work in a coal mine. But then tragedy struck. There was an explosion in the mine. The father was killed, and the son was maimed.
While he was recovering in the hospital, the young man, along with his mother, came to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior. This had such a profound effect on them they changed their surname. The name they chose for themselves was Sperondeo. In Italian that means, "My hope is in God." This phrase became the young man's inspiration to complete college and graduate study and become a college professor. His name was the motto of his life -- Sperondeo -- "My hope is in God."
Where else is such hope to be found? Government? Education? Science? None of these can reach where you and I hurt during dark times. Only faith in God's promises can do that.
While visiting Dublin, Ireland one summer Lutheran Pastor Reuben Youngdahl met a young man. On the desk in this young man's study, Reuben noticed a plague with two words, "But God." He was so impressed by this plaque he had one made just like it for his own desk.
Visitors to his office would often ask, "What do you mean by those two words-- "But God"? He explained that in his hour of deepest need he'd learned to say, "But God . . . will help." In a moment of utter despair, he could say, "But God . . . will give me hope." In a moment of loneliness, he could say, "But God . . . is with me." When he felt insignificant and unwanted, it would help to repeat, "But God . . . loves me."
"That always turned the scale from despair to hope, from defeat to victory, from sin to salvation," he reported. "But God . . . but God . . . but God . . ."
That's more than blind optimism that everything is going to work out all right. Such faith recognizes life can often be hard--sometimes brutally hard--but if we maintain our faith, persist, and not give up, God will come through for us. We're not alone.
As Paul declares, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Do you and I have that kind of confidence in God? It truly is the magic ingredient that takes life to a whole new level.
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Rev. Charles Eldredge is a member of Maitland Church of the Brethren. He has a Facebook page and can be contacted by email: ce1133 @verizon.net.