God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah – Psalm 46:1-3
In the musical Annie, the song “It’s the Hard-Knock Life” takes the audience into the daily struggles of the orphans who live in the terrible orphanage run by Miss Hannigan. Daily, the orphans experience hard work with little payoff. Tears and heartache are part of their ongoing emotional roller coaster. The girls are sad, lonely, and often hopeless. As the song builds, the chorus of girls delivers a powerful line, “No one cares for you a smidge when you’re in an orphanage! It’s the hard knock life.”
Miss Hannigan’s orphanage symbolizes the dreadful, solitary condition that so many of us find ourselves in during the hard-knock times of life. The feeling that we are alone and no one around who cares can be paralyzing. The orphans and even Miss Hannigan wrestle with the debilitating feeling of loneliness. The joy of Annie is that hope is realized, and a connection is made with family—a new family.
This is the promise we have as the people of God. We are not locked behind the doors of a sad and isolated orphanage. We are adopted into a family of faith. We are the children of God. Because God has repeatedly promised that He is “a very present help,” we can be free of the tears and heartache that come with isolation.
God’s promise is that we are not alone. Let us remember that we do not begin today in isolation. God is with us! We have a family of faith. Because we are not alone, our day begins and ends with hope.
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
