Hope was always there

There's a window at my church that shows Mary weeping at the tomb with Jesus standing behind her. 

There was a time when I sat where I could see this window every single Sunday. It is a tall window and I didn’t even look at all of it. I only looked at the lowest part of the window, where Mary sits weeping. All I saw was Mary. Sad, bereft, hopeless.

For a long time I sat with Mary. For a long time I needed to sit with Mary. Mary and I sat together each Sunday for months. Mary in the window. Me in a pew. Sad, weeping, hopeless.