(April 07, 2025) Carol Round recalls a happy hike and shares a relevant challenge…

It was small and almost hidden by the remnants of dead leaves whose brown colour still carpeted the cold ground.

But the bright purple flower caught my attention.

It was a sign that a new season was struggling to emerge after a harsh Oklahoma winter.

Reminder
It was also Easter.

And I smiled when I saw the beauty of the flower’s fragile petals because it was a reminder of hope renewed with the resurrection of Christ. Job 19:24 came to mind— ‘I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand on the earth.’ 

I had been hiking that chilly Sunday afternoon with my grandchildren and their parents. The sighting of the flower poking its purple head through the damp earth drew me closer to a time in my life when, like my grandchildren, all was right with the world.

My grandchildren’s delight in the beauty of the still brown and grey scenery, interrupted occasionally by patches of early blooming grass, made me pause and inhale the crisp air that cleared my head, still fogged by winter’s cobwebs. I couldn’t get enough.

Reflection
Hiking deeper into the woods and down to a stream, I was transported back to my childhood days— before I was aware that the people you loved could disappoint you; before I understood the deep, abiding love of the One who never would.

As a child, I could spend hours alone outdoors. While others formed teams to play ball, I was content to sit or lie silently in the grass. Fascinated by bugs, rocks, flowers and blades of tall grass, I was completely unaware of the passing of time.

That Sunday afternoon, as I climbed the hills and then descended through the valleys with my loved ones, time stood still again. Sounds of civilisation were overshadowed by the creek water as it tumbled over rocks and bounced off the banks. The occasional sound of a bird punctuated the air, reminding us that we were not alone.

We skipped rocks in the creek that had recently overflowed its banks after a rainstorm had flooded parts of the area. We studied the intricacies of unusual tree roots that had forced their way above ground, yet had withstood the weathering of time and nature. Fascinated by green moss growing on rocks and tree stumps, we touched the velvet fabric with the tips of our fingers.

My larger, time-weathered hand found comfort in holding the smaller hands of my grandchildren as we walked that day. There was no reason to hurry as we stopped to observe other mysteries, like mushrooms—  and that tiny flower of hope.

Reality
Hebrew ‘hope’ is tiqvah indicating expectation. In biblical Greek it is elpis… expectation, trust, confidence… from elpo to anticipate, usually with pleasure.

Paul wrote good news about trusting our God of hope— ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit’ (Romans 15:13).

Peter too shared good news about our Easter hope in Jesus, our Saviour— ‘Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God’ (1Peter 1:21).

The writer of Hebrews stated very clearly that ‘Our hope is certain. It is something for the soul to hold on to. It is strong and secure. It goes all the way into the Most Holy Room behind the curtain (Hebrews 6:19NIRV).

• Hope isn’t wrapped in brightly coloured foil or synthetic grass.
• Hope is as basic as God’s love for us.
• Hope is His promise of better things to come.
• Hope is presented in a magnificent way, wrapped in the true blessings of Easter.
• Hope is discovered and experienced when we put our trust in Jesus and accept the gospel message of John 3:16!
  

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Carol Round is an inspirational speaker and author. Her encouraging articles have appeared in many publications and she loves hearing from readers, whom Carol encourages to ‘Feel free to share this post.’

Recommended: Journaling with Jesus and companion The 40 Day Challenge. These help readers draw close to God— (See: http://bit.ly/2LGOvKN and Amazon author page: https://amzn.to/2pP5Yr6).
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