Wait and Hope

"All human wisdom is contained in these words: Wait and Hope. - Edmond Dantes, the Count of Monte Cristo"

How true are these last words from Alexandre Dumas' the Count of Monte Cristo. I just finished reading this book a couple of days ago. I thought I had read it in high school, but when I started reading it again a few months ago I remembered that our teacher only assigned us a few chapters (makes sense, we were only in 9th grade), so I had never read the whole book! I knew I loved the story though, and couldn't remember much of it, so I decided to read it since I have a little more time on my hands in this stage of life. 

I got to the end and as the last chapter wrapped everything up in these words, I was amazed. I never knew it was a Christian book! I knew it was a book about vengeance and anger, and honestly wasn't looking forward to the end very much because I thought I would disagree with the moral. I was pleasantly surprised when I read Dantes' summary of his experience - how he trusted in God, sought revenge on the part of the Lord, overstepped his bounds, and yet God was still with him and pardoned him despite his mistakes.

I don't necessarily agree with Dantes that the sum of all wisdom is to "wait and hope," but these words definitely resonated within me. As Dantes waited on God for many long years trapped in his dark cell, as Valentine spent the night in a coffin, as the Count of Monte Cristo had patience in taking his revenge, so do we wait and hope for God to rescue us. All of history is built around earthly patience, waiting for the redemption that will save us from the curse. Now that Christ has come, we rely on the hope that He gave us that He will return and take us to the place He is preparing for us.

I'm thankful that God can use a fictional novel to encourage me in my walk with Him, that I can be reminded to continue to wait on God for all the provisions He will treat us to in the future. I was encouraged to think that even though I don't know what our life will be like in Philly, if I'll like where we live, or if I'll make friends, I can trust that God is writing my story. He has a good plan for me, and He will take care of me if I wait and hope on Him.