We need something to hang onto, don’t we? What gives us stability when life is unsettling or causes us to be overcome with grief or fear? What do we need in times of sustained pressure or pain? We need hope and meaning.
Viktor Frankl survived Auschwitz concentration camp during WWII. In his memoir, Man’s Search for Meaning, he shares that the key to his survival was to identify and focus on a purpose for living.
We can take this principle out of a dire situation and apply it to everyday life. It could be that promotion you’re eyeing at work, a daunting project or the long journey of grief. If we can identify the goal or hope that waits for us at the end of this journey, we will be sustained while putting in the long hours, or working through another painful event.
Certain Hope is a portrait of the space in time that exists between you and your goal. The binoculars and sprinkled references to birds gives evidence that finding and watching birds is the goal. We hang onto trophies of past victories such as nests and feathers to keep us moving forward when success eludes us. We see books that represent the learning and growing that occurs through prolonged effort.
Finally, as the backdrop we find those soothing shades of blue and amber. They transcend over everything that is occurring in the painting, and also in life. We are reminded by these shades of blue that the end of the story is always heaven for those who know and love the LORD. And amber or fire, visual evidence of God’s presence in Ezekiel’s vision, assures us that God’s presence is a steadfast and comforting reality.
If you are waiting or working for something, fix your eyes on the prize and His promises and this will help you through to the end.