GPBC Blog

We started a tradition about seven years ago that we revisit when the school year is about to start called the “Hopes & Apprehensions Jar.” There are plenty of traditions and rhythms that I’ve tried to start or started and endeavored to maintain in our family over the years, and very few have lasted, but this one has stuck around. If I had known we’d end up using it every year I probably would have chosen a nicer looking jar. As it stands we use an old pickle jar with a white sticker on it saying “20__ Hopes & Apprehensions” (we use white out and a sharpie to change the year - very sophisticated). 

Each year as the school schedule begins, we make some strips out of printer paper and sit down at the table and each person in our family writes down at least one hope for the year and one thing we’re feeling apprehensive about. Then whoever wants to share what they wrote does and we fold the strips of paper up and put them in the jar and spend a moment giving our hopes and apprehensions to God. Once we had a few years’ worth of papers in the jar we started to pull out the old strips of paper and read them before putting the new strips of paper in. Often we’ve forgotten what we put in there and discover that we made it through the thing we were apprehensive about, and the thing we were hopeful about turned out far better than we could have imagined. There are usually a couple strips of paper that remain unanswered and sometimes they remain a hope or apprehension, and we put them back in the jar. There have been some really fun moments, like finding that one of the kids had put a strip in saying “I really hope we get to go to a Toby Mac concert all together,” and looking back and realizing that we did! Or revisiting apprehensions about finding some good friends or switching schools or being able to balance some work things with being able to be present at kids’ things and seeing where God helped us and led us. 

Encouraging our kids to write anything on those strips of paper - nothing is too big or too small - has encouraged my husband Rees and me to share anything and everything with God. When we’re feeling our limitations - only so much time in the day, so many dollars in the bank, and bodies that need to sleep and eat and can’t keep clipping along at high speed - it’s so easy to subtly assume that God has limitations too and that there’s only so much grace and help and attention He has to give, and we should just keep what we share with him to the “big” things. Our heads know that is not true, but sometimes our instincts try to edit our conversations with God.

For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
    is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth…
The Lord is like a father to his children,
    tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
    he remembers we are only dust.
Psalm 103: 11, 13, 14 NLT

Every beginning of the school year, we remind ourselves and each other that God really cares about our hopes and apprehensions and wants us to share those with him. We regularly need that reminder, do you too? What are your hopes and apprehensions as you head into the fall? As GPBC heads into a new season with a new lead pastor? You don’t need an old pickle jar to share your hopes and apprehensions with God, but there’s an invitation to everyone of us to share all that’s in our hearts without any editing. May we all “see” His compassionate gaze toward us and His eagerness to hear our hearts and be empowered to show that love to each other.