Elegant Hope: Finding God’s Light in Life’s Darkest Moments

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Burnette, R.L. (2025) “All of Creation Groans”

Another fiery sunset awaits me, yet I gently turn the page to more weighty matters. I love nights like this, but even Vegas, full of encapsulating beauty, fails to capture my greatest pondering.

The passion burning deep within my chest can not be described in a picture, even a heavenly one; it needs words. Perhaps worth a 1,000, but how do I know it passes the test of authenticity, of creativity, and lasting joy, as opposed to some hyper-inflated, overly used, safe-sounding algorithm?

I don’t, except to say, these eyes have crash landed on plenty of life’s finest depravities, and the contrast, furiously-feasting pain affords, creates incredulous landing pads. Through decades of hard-fought experience, I’ve come to glean, hope is greater.

Can an actual sunset provoke resolve?

Yes

Can, these same moments, pausing and silently reflecting fully eliminate perplexing burdens of a soul?

No

Depression, stress, and pitted anxiety remain, yet the golden hues beckon me. Their nod is a refreshing pause, to distractions, I, otherwise, daily behold.

As my emotions linger, my thoughts long for relief:

• What about my physical senses? Will they betray me?

• Why should they?

• Who drew a distinction to begin with?

• Why did someone demand my flesh become incomplete, my face so easily forgotten?

  
  

If every sunrise and sunset differ, why can’t I be embraced for who I am, in my entirety?

Is not the created image of God his greatest light bearer for all to see? Do we, as humans, somehow fail to reflect the very presence of God, and doesn’t our enemy already possess this knowledge? Men are deceived into thinking we can diminish our purpose or relieve our hope. We simply can not.

It is as intrinsic a rhythm, and holy unto God, as the rise of my breathing chest, or the calming of my faithful, beating heart.

Why, then, do we work so hard to deny hope’s reality?

Is it to convince ourselves there is a part of us that can never be perfected, or made right before God? Have we bought the lie that there is to be a separate, shameful piece of who we are and how we reflect God’s hues doesn’t matter? Is our flesh simply to be enjoyed, then destroyed?

Is our body not a temple, a sumptuous home to the very spirit of God?

A sunset can say a lot.

And much like itself, it seeks a marvelous audience. It evokes meaningful understanding, and, like its eventual setting, we too can dusk despair and rise in hope.

Indeed, we can persist until its inevitable rise the next morning knowing there is a God in heaven, who intends to create a brand new one for you to gaze upon tonight, and, much like our lives, it will never be the same as yesterdays or tomorrows. Armed now, with that knowledge, we might as well stoke hope’s fire, fully assured hope’s object will arrive and satisfy the deepest hunger of our weary souls.

Only hope, God is never late.

Remain, and rejoicing will be yours. He promises, and what He says never returns void.

Just like the breaking of the morning sun, death’s grip will lose its hold on you.

Replaced by hope that leads each of us, heaven finally revealing to His ultimate, inevitable, and powerful reckoning.

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” You Version Romans 5:3–5 NLT

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