Good hope through grace

My dear one, 

The exams are finished, the grades in, the regalia soon to be donned this afternoon. This time of year is a bittersweet mix of goodbyes, nostalgia, and relief. And I can't recall a year in which Commencement Day had more perfectly cool weather (given the fact that the southern sun and doctoral regalia typically conspire to overheat this exhausted professor).

I had a rather unsettling dream last night, in which I found renewed reason to hope. Why can't my subconscious let go of what my resolved heart has determined to forget? To be honest, the constant barrage of engagement announcements and wedding invitations isn't helping my frame of mind. I cried driving home last night as the weight of loneliness felt crushingly intense. 

What new experiences does this summer bring for you? Is your work wearisome? Are you praying for wisdom concerning hard decisions? Do you find yourself refreshed in the Lord? The words of 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 come to mind: 

Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, 

and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, 

and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, 

comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

I'm praying this for you, my dear one.

Your Evenstar