Downton Determination or Heavenly Hope

Over the last few weeks I’ve been watching Downton Abbey.  I’d never seen it before and I’m thoroughly enjoying getting to know the characters and their comings and goings.

This week the often acidic Dowager Countess showed one of her softer moments as she comforted her granddaughter, Edith.  Edith was lamenting that it was beginning to feel as if God didn’t want her to ever be happy.  The Countess responds with her age acquired wisdom that life is just a series of problems needing solutions.  Once a problem is solved, she says, very often another presents itself requiring a fresh solution and so on until you die.  

Certainly if you’re a fan of Downton, you’ll be aware that there is no shortage of the need to creatively solve a variety of problems that both the family and their staff experience.  Accident of birth whether high, middle, or low ranking, is no protection from life’s problems.

The Countess’s view may be one we identify with, whereby we use our determination to overcome life's inevitable problems.  My life certainly hasn’t been without its variety of problems needing solutions.  But what do you do when there is no solution, when sheer determination makes no or little difference?  Can you man or woman up and carry on regardless?

If we look at Edith's statement to her grandmother, we actually see a deeper rooted issue.  Her question asks in fact are we entitled to be happy and perhaps where does that happiness come from?

Looking heavenward for our hope and not to earthly Downton style wisdom, we can find a different perspective that relies on something more powerful and long lasting than a human's self will to determine to be happy.  

In answer to Edith's question there is a resounding, heavenly, Yes.  Yes, God does want you to be happy, but God’s happiness comes from a deeper joy that only he can give.  This joy is a gift from God that does not rely on our earthly circumstances but on us placing our hope in an eternal Kingdom that has already overcome our earthly trials and tribulations.

Rather than try to solve our problems on our own, God is waiting for us to seek him and his solutions.  If we seek him with all our heart, he promises to hear.  His responses might be, “yes, no or not yet”, as he knows what we need rather than what we want, but his desire is for us to find all we need in him and receive the gift of his eternal joy and hope.

So if, like Edith, you've got a problem or two, take a moment to share it with our loving heavenly Father.  If you watch, wait and listen, he will show you the solution you need and in the waiting he will strengthen your faith, joy and peace in him.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  Jeremiah 29:11-13



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