Hope lives here.

So my family and I have been at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) since June 29th (minus 3 days I went home to North Carolina for work and to sort out a few important details). I had Hudson on July 17th and he has been in the cardiac intensive care unit since.

On the day of so many tests and attempts at a diagnosis, I sat in their diagnostics center and the Special Delivery Unit for many hours. You can't be at CHOP long without seeing their logo and tagline.

I teared up in that lobby as I read those words, "Hope lives here." 

Our sweet Hudson has overcome so much during the three months of his little life and the obstacles aren't over. But, the first time I read their tagline I didn't know if I'd ever even get to meet our sweet boy alive. I desperately wanted their tagline to be true.

 (One day I'll take the time to tell the story of his birth and the miracle that was.)

For now, I want to talk about hope.

Hope: a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen; a feeling of trust

I've had moments of hope and moments of despair. The idea of hope and even the word "hope" typically leave us feeling positive but this tagline leaves out how hope is produced in us.

Romans 5:1-5

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 

2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 

3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 

4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.

5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

So where does hope come from?

Suffering. 

Perseverance. 

Character. 

HOPE.

I HATE this chain reaction. His ways are not our ways. Not MY ways.

But, hope comes from suffering.

Ultimately we are left with going back to verse 2.

"Rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." That's our ultimate HOPE. 

Jesus.

I'm telling myself this more than I'm telling you.