Almost exactly 2 years ago, some of us were together in Orlando for a Legacy Retreat®! In some ways 2 years sounds like such a short time, but I think we can also agree it feels like a lifetime. Back in March of 2020, when we thought life would look different for a few weeks, people immediately started connecting in the way we could, online, from our homes. Remember back when we were just learning how to get onto a zoom call? “You’re muted” quickly became a common phrase. There has been so much creativity in these 2 years as the world has shifted and adjusted.
One of the ways I remember people quickly sharing creativity was through memes. I would send morning entertainment to our family group text with memes from the day before. I actually put some of these memes in my photo album from 2020. We didn’t have quite as many pictures of sporting events or family vacations, so they fill in with reminders of the year. Here’s a few:
“For the first time in history, we can save the human race by laying in front of the TV and doing nothing. Let’s not screw this up!”
“Like a good neighbor, stay over there”
At Inheritance of Hope, creativity during COVID has actually launched us far ahead of where we thought we would be, leading to offerings we might not have otherwise been able to focus on for many years. This Hope@Home™ Weekend is one example as our team focused on new ways to inspire hope in families. We are so excited about this special way to meet families exactly where they are and we plan to continue doing this for years to come.
Even as creativity led to funny material and great new programs, I also found myself reaching back for truths that had been part of my life before. I was desperate for reminders of a God who does not change. I wanted to remind myself of promises I had heard in the past in order to help me navigate the unknown present and future. Psalm 118 is one place where the repetition of words I have read for so many years helped bring me a sense of groundedness. Over and over the words are repeated, “His faithful love endures forever. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.”
I sometimes think of the Old Testament as “going back,” but in reality, the Old Testament points forward. It points to Jesus. One of the places this happens is in Psalm 118:22 which says “the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” In Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus quotes this Psalm as He describes Himself as this cornerstone. I’m no construction expert, but I love this image of being grounded. Some study notes in my Bible explain that:
It sets the direction and the orientation of the entire structure
The cornerstone ensures proper alignment when all of the other stones line up with it.
A cornerstone is a rock upon which the weight of the entire structure rests.
Jesus is the reason we are here this weekend getting ready to launch into Zoom rooms and enjoy the world premiere of some fun new programming. Throughout the weekend, we will be meeting and getting to know many new people on our team and in our families. We have the opportunity to share the reason for our hope with people whose lives may feel out of control, who may come feeling nervous or uncertain, who are looking for something to make them feel grounded. As we think of Jesus as our cornerstone, we can lean and rest on Him, and we will be stable and won’t fall. Jesus will take the weight off of us when it’s too much to bear. We can be strong because He is strong and so can each of these precious families.
The song I want to share with you this morning is a version of Hillsong Music’s Cornerstone. I think it’s a perfect example of creativity during COVID which draws on comforting words of promise while pointing us forward to a future with Jesus. As we get ready to serve 28 families online, from the comfort of home, let’s celebrate that our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus, our cornerstone.
Betsy Ogren is Inheritance of Hope’s Program Director. She originally shared this devotional with the Hope@Home™ Weekend team in February 2022.
