Our Hope

By Zelphia Peterson

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10)

How can you stay and suffer endless pain? This life, the trials that it bears. How can you fight to win the joys and gains That lighten burdens, won so hard from cares? What hope sustains, what lofty measure fills The void that formed through years of dreams untold? What ray of light defies the dark that kills; What life endures, though death would make it cold? What courage beats to strengthen hearts to love In spite of curses loud, to walk the way Not for the faint of heart without resolve? A hope so bold it stirs a soul to say, “Though through a hundred years of pain I’ve called, I have still this—eternity with God.”

---

Zelphia Peterson is twenty years old and a native of the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. Currently she lives with her parents and her sister as she pursues her master’s degree in Global Public Health. Ever since she wrote her first poem at a costume party in first grade, Zelphia has remained fascinated by wordplay in poetry. For her, perfection is when rhyme, rhythm, and aesthetic sound serve the meaning behind the poetry. She draws much of her inspiration from Scripture and the natural wonders of creation, as well as human experience in general. In her free time, Zelphia enjoys making music in any form, reading voraciously, painting, archery, camping and backpacking with her family, chatting with her sister, and serving her church. She hopes to someday serve the Lord in another country by using her training as a public health worker.