So what if Time’s got hands on a clock — it’s God who has His Hands on the universe.

Open my eyes, that I may see the wonders of Your law. Psalm 119:18

And Ann Voskomf’s story for yesterday opened up with one arrow. A yellow arrow on a signpost pointing to Hope. And it is a good story, with lots of bold-faced truths. But the Big Thing is that He holds Hope in His hand. Who believes in unseen things, in impossible things, in the things you can’t measure and control and deduce and reduce and wrap up in a reasonably neat and timely package and who in this cynical world remembers how to find Hope?  And it is not my job to measure and control and deduce and reduce and wrap up in a reasonably neat and timely package.

My job is to say, “Lead and I will follow.” One arrow at a time.

And the cool thing about taking Everette on long walks through the desert to the park is that her eyes are open. And she notices every tiny thing and she constantly opens up her arms and mouth in awe.

“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”  [Kuyper]

“Joys are always on their way to us,” writes Amy Carmichael. “They are always traveling to us through the darkness of the night. There is never a night when they are not coming.”

Because there is never a night where joys are not coming to us, there is never a road that can’t arrive at Hope. Circumstances can go ahead and run out of time — but the courageous refuse to run out of hope.

We can always hope because there is always joy traveling to us down the unexpected roads.

And because the thing is: Hope always has a cost and hope is always worth it, because who wants the cheap and deadened alternative?

And I rode right up A Mountain this morning with a pretty loaded pack. And gold gilt duct-taped sunflowers from Nicole. And I am so very curious. But peaceful. Because over and over again I learned on last summer’s trip that I was absolutely clueless about what lie ahead of the next curve.  Except for being completely enveloped in God’s unconditional love. His tightly knit, wrap around love. And Nicole and I kept whispering, “This is amazing.”

My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.