I would like to introduce a 4-part series on Hope Chests, (and if you don’t know what those are, just keep reading), concentrating on how a hope chest is a great way to live naturally, frugally, and wholly in Christ.
You can look forward to:
Part 1 (Whole Living): “What’s in my Hope Chest?”–a look into my personal Hope Chest, in all its grandeur, (or rather, lack thereof, unfortunately :\).
Part 2 (Natural Living): “What am I adding to my Hope Chest?”–because once you read part 1, you’ll understand that I need to do some serious “building up.”
Part 3 (Frugal Living): “What does Having a Hope Chest mean $$-wise?“–looking at the fiscal benefits of having a hope chest.
Part 4 (In Christ/A Devotion): “Scriptural Reasons for Having a Hope Chest“–biblical references that make having a hope chest a reasonable, fun, and awesome idea.
What is a Hope Chest?
Traditionally, a hope chest is a large to medium size wooden box that a young, unmarried lady would fill up with items for her intended wedding and married home and life.
Items might include a wedding dress and shoes, pillows, blankets, pictures...all put in the hope chest in anticipation of one day being married.
Hope chests today, however, are given much more freedom to be used for whatever best fits you and the lifestyle you hope to lead in the future. For example, some young women decide that they do not want to marry, so they do not use their hope chests for wedding items. Simply put, a hope chest is a chest of items dedicated to the hope of having a future, no matter what that future may be.
A Hope Chest is for preparation, but now more than ever, hope chests can hold sentimental items, such as family Christmas ornaments and such. Some people put books in their hope chest. Some people put baby clothes. It’s your choice of the contents to be placed in it; there are NO limits or restrictions! I’ll give you a peak into my Hope Chest in Part 1 of our Hope Chest series.
**I would like to stress here that the IDEA of the hope chest is more important than actually having a wooden chest. Preparing for the future can be done, even without a box to put the contents in.**
A modern Hope Chest may look similar to this, but styles can vary.
At the same time, hope chests are not STRICTLY for the day you become married or for the day you live on your own. Some women use their contents on a regular basis, while other women prefer to accumulate and save the items for its intended purpose only.
Are Hope Chests Just for Girls?
Once again, the TRADITIONAL answer is “Yes.” According to this article, a groom’s family provided land, property, or money in order to “win” a woman’s hand in marriage. The bride’s family then gave a dowry of the things the couple would need to begin life together, including linens, china, and other household items.
Today, however, some parents provide their sons with “hope chests” (that they don’t call hope chests) for them to put the items they would like to keep and that are special to them, as well as items that may prove useful to them in the future. Some creative parents are even using a locker for their males, instead of a wooden chest.
Final Thoughts:
If you decide to start a Hope Chest, (and I certainly hope you do by the end of this series), remember– a hope chest is about having hope more than anything else, more than the contents in the hope chest, more than the actual process of gaining the contents. More than anything, a hope chest is about HOPE.
I enjoyed reading this letter from Glenys Robyn Hicks to “handmaidens” concerning her hope chest:
…my mother and father provided a hope chest for me. We weren’t very well off, but they acquired an old writing bureau which they kept in their bedroom for me as my own room was too small. This hope chest was filled gradually with all the usual things to ensure a well stocked home with crocks and linens.
But I found this was not its primary purpose for me. It became my focus and purpose in life- reminding me of the task ahead of becoming mistress of my own home. Each time I added something to it, it filled my soul with longing for the day of marriage and hope for the future. As I worked and saved for my wedding and new home, it became my anchor. Every kitchen article was added with dreams of me cooking delicious meals for my beloved. Each towel I folded filled me with visions of them flapping on the line and I would plan how to wash them properly and keep them soft and fluffy. Fluffy enough to wrap up my new baby after its bath. For every sheet and blanket focused me on the physical side of marriage filling my heart with the promise of children conceived in love. As I added to my picnic ware, my mind would race imagining flying kites, feeding the ducks by the pond and country drives with my husband and children ..life held great promise for me in that hope chest…and although mine was not a true hope chest- it was full of hope.
I certainly wish you to join me on this series! Please feel free to comment and discuss, as much as you like! 🙂
Zealous Dedication 