Vision + Faith = Hope
Following the age of the great depression my grandparents pastored a church in eastern Arkansas, Paragould. Located on the prairie along the St. Francis river, the congregation had many farmers among its number. The two major crops were strawberries and cotton. Harvest was a major undertaking and took greater manpower than the local population could provide, so there was welcomed opportunity to take a few days out of each year, spring and fall, to join the migratory workers that came through and make a little cash. My grandparents were among those who took advantage of this blessing.
In the tradition of historical time and place, small children did not go to a sitter while their parents toiled. They came along and arrangements were made for them to participate appropriately. For the cotton harvest each person had their own canvas sack. Men pulled nine foot bags that at capacity could weigh upwards of 100 pounds, women filled seven footers. Children were given gunny sacks modified with a shoulder strap and away they followed.
My dad retells the story of one particular season of harvest when my aunt Betty, his younger sister, probably about six years old, wanted a new purse. Grandmother told Betty she could have the money she made picking cotton to buy herself a pocketbook. Granddad and grandmother took a row, one on each side and with their youngsters at their elbows, began picking. There hadn’t been much picking done before Betty gazed into her tow sack and said, “Oh! I see a purse!”
Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
Betty had great faith that at the end of the day she would have the resources to purchase the longed for purse. Each time she looked into her gunny sack those fluffy white boles looked more and more like a little handbag. Each step forward meant one inch closer to her goal and she was energized to complete her task.
Little did Betty know that occasionally an adult’s hand dropped it’s yield of cotton into her sack rather than their own. Her vision had caught on. Others were investing in her dream, her hope. She was not alone.
Many journeys set out with great vision and faith, but somewhere along the way weariness distracts, the magnitude of the endeavor overwhelms and discouragement extinguishes hope. Here lies a great tragedy of life. But there is much evidence that vision powered by faith becomes the great and only hope for someone.
At the end of World War II when Allied forces entered Germany, the following words were found etched on a cellar wall in Cologne, left by a victim of cruelty and injustice.
“I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining,
I believe in love, even though I don’t feel it.
I believe in God, even when He is silent.”
Later, someone extended to poem with these words,
May there someday be sunshine,
May there someday be happiness,
May there someday be love
May there someday be peace.
From a child looking into a tow sack filling with cotton to an innocent victim of hatred, vision and faith met and became hope.
Look back and see what God has done. Look around and see how far you’ve come, look to the future with a vision and faith. From this hope, life will spring forth and God will do a great work.
Love,
Gretchen