"Now faith is trusting what we hope for and being certain of what we do not see." - Hebrews 11:1

This has been one of my favorite verses for a long time. I've always liked the second half of the verse - "certain of what we do not see." I just think that's a beautiful idea. But this morning, the first half of the verse is what stuck in my head. It popped in my head while I was at work, and as I had a thought that seemed like something I should have realized a long time ago. I decided that hoping for things isn't always easy. It's easy to have things to hope for, sure, but the hard part comes once you start to hope for it. That's when the realization that it might not happen starts to creep in.

So... should we just stop hoping? I think that's what this verse addresses, in part. God reminds us of something it took me 20 years to consciously realize: trusting what we hope for isn't something we can do alone. It takes faith to do that. It's not easy, especially when everyone around us, common sense, and the resources we have available seem to make our hope nearly impossible. I think that's why, just a few verses later, we're reminded of Abraham. Sarah couldn't have children; Abraham was an old man. I'm sure that his neighbors, friends, and other contacts laughed at him when he talked about having a son. I know this doesn't mean we want to happen, happens. But it's encouraging, to see that God knew that hoping for things wasn't always easy, and that he tells us to keep on doing it - that hope is part of our faith.

In other news, my arm hurts like a mug. (Yes, I just said "hurts like a mug." I apologize to everyone who had to read that.) I went to the state health department's immunization clinic today, and I got three shots - my Tetanus/Diphtheria booster, a Typhoid vaccine, and a Hepatitis A vaccine. They said the Td shot frequently causes some aches, but they usually go away in a couple of days. I hope so.

I also got a form today from my mission trip coordinator. It's a form stating CMF's policy on missionaries taken hostage. I have to sign it so that it's clear that I understand, if I were to be kidnapped, that they will not pay ransom. (Although they will do everything they can to get me home safely.) Crazy stuff, huh?

Tomorrow is my last day at work, and I am glad. I think that's all, for now.