From deep shadows to star bursts...The power of HOPE

Yesterday after sharing with some family and friends about our time in Kyrgyzstan, and upcoming trip, Benjamin's father in law , my friend, drew my attention to a chapter in a book that he knew that I was reading .. In this book, they talked about how the people were living their lives in such darkness and distress, but had witnessed HOPE... and because of that HOPE , Those people living in a land of such "deep shadows and darkness" experienced LIGHT, but not just any light it was the "light that was like star bursts all around them" , it gave them such encouragement that they began to live their lives again .. there families and villages began to grow in the Joy that came from that HOPE.. then it says that there joy expanded into "a festival of JOY... Great celebrations, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings" when they were in the presence of the one that had brought them the Hope and the Joy... Then it went on to say that powered by this spreading HOPE

"The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants—
all their whips and cudgels and curses—
was gone, done away with, The boots of all those invading troops,
along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood,
were piled in a heap and burned,
a fire that would burn for days! "

The imagery of that just sunk so deep into me I can not explain it ... I always talk about bringing HOPE and restoring Dignity. Could it be that after all the distress we have seen, a turning point when a nation can rise up is just around the corner.. They say that the night is darkest just before the dawn... I am believing that we are seeing now is the dawning of a new day for a people and a land we love...