Hope Chest

When I was a young girl, my mother gave me a cedar chest and she told me that we were going to use it for my hope chest. (The photo at left is not mine, but it sure is pretty, isn't it?) For those younger readers who may not be familiar with it, a hope chest is used by a young woman to accumule domestic furnishings and in anticipation of her marriage.

Over the years, we filled it with many items that I would need to start housekeeping...beautiful pillowcases, kitchen linens, dishes...and many other useful items. I can remember sitting for hours looking through all the items and dreaming about the day when I would become a wife.

I plan to have one for BK. I've already started thinking about some of the things that I will put inside for her...things that will help and encourage her to be a great wife one day.

The tradition of having a hope chest isn't very popular anymore. In fact, I haven't heard anything about hope chests in many, many years at all until last night.

Our pastor was talking about a tragic accident that happened over the weekend in which the daughter of one of his friends was killed. While telling the story, he called the casket that they buried the girl in a hope chest. He went on to explain that to the world, death signifies an end. To believers, however, it is far from the end...but rather a glorious beginning.

In that case, the casket is a "hope chest" because it signifies the hope that we have because Jesus has gone to prepare the marriage supper of the Lamb (see Rev. 19:9). Just as surely as He went to prepare a place for us, He will return for his bride.

He is our only real hope.

And now, brothers and sisters, I want you to know what will happen to the Christians who have died so you will not be full of sorrow like people who have no hope. I Thessalonians 4:13 (NLT)