Hope in Your Heart

Dear TSJ Friends,

(Remember to click on the green picture header for easier reading on your phone)

 As you can see, Solomon is in his newest favorite rocking chair, anxious to discuss some age old wisdom ideas to encourage us.  He says that although life in the muddy pastures of earth surrounded by life sucking predators can threaten us, we need never to despair.

First of all we can always claim and renew our faith in God’s presence – within us and around us.

Scriptures assure us no matter what transpires here, “These remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”  I Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

The online dictionary tells us that “Faith is confidence and trust in a person, thing or belief not based on proof” but often gathered through experience.  One cannot have hope without faith.

Today we are focusing on having hearts of hope.  Hope is the best antidote to despair.

Hope can be mined in the crevices and corners of our hearts. A gem worth mining. It can be shaped by the darkest hours of our lives – through our failures, our losses and our deepest fears.  We need hope to survive and thrive.

Hope is contagious and inspiring. Hope wins right beside love.

It has often been said, “Where there is life, there is hope.”

Today I am turning that phrase around to suggest “where there is hope, there is life.”  

Hope is a life-enhancing gift.  It mobilizes our inner resources.  

Despair destroys. Hope heals. 

Hope is positive –  a joyful anticipation or expectation.  

If nothing else, in times of suffering we can find  hope deep within that something good will one day come from our experience.

A few years ago a dear vibrant and healthy friend asked to go for a walk with me as she had some things to talk about. It sounded serious. Walking felt like a good way to have privacy and do something healthy at the same time. I have mentioned her before, but that walk turned out to change my life – though I was not to know that until two years later.  On that day she broke the news she had breast cancer and was scheduled for a mastectomy. She had faith in her doctor and in God and her ability to overcome.  She had a great support system as she is a loving, giving human being.

All went swimmingly well at first. Then there was a tearful, discouraged time when the pain of reconstruction, recovery and reaction to medicine had overcome her. Yet she had a firm desire to endure with the light of hope helping her press toward the goal of healing and recovery.  She was inspiring as she modeled an attitude of joyful expectation that gave her strength and courage. Her story has a happy ending.

Many positive and unforeseen great things have come from her experience. And one of the unexpected things was she showed me the trail that is behind our TSJ headquarters. It was through her that Tom and I walked and hoped one day to build a home together there.  We knew nothing of the area until my friend showed me. Of course it worked out that we had our own setback when Tom died, but the house is part of his dream that has come true. If she had not asked for that walk I would not have discovered the trail that led to our current home.

All three things: faith, hope and love worked together in her suffering and others have benefited as well. Those are things we cannot know ahead of time while in our suffering.

Then, last year another wonderful friend of both of us got breast cancer. Our dear friend’s experience was of tremendous value once again, including introducing her to a wonderful doctor..  And there were complications and setbacks that tested her hope a few times also.  But she held onto the belief that God was in it and love was surrounding her. She had a great team of hope – bearers too.

Faith, love and hope kept her going and there are numerous good things that resulted in her journey of hope and healing as well.

Yes, life is tough.  But hope is tougher. It raises our spirit.   “Those who hope in the Lord,” says Isaiah, “will renew their strength. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (40:31)

We all have stories of despair and hope. Sometimes we need to hold out hope for others when they need a boost. There are times when hope dims. We are human and we feel pain.

Remember the song that reminds us :

“Walk on, Walk on With hope in your heart

and you’ll never walk alone.

You’ll never walk alone.”

Hope shared is hope multiplied.

When you feel discouraged and it seems like your prayers are not being heard, let alone answered, perhaps these two little words might lift your spirit… Not Yet.

For example, when you get on the scales and have yet to lose those pounds you have worked hard to lose, rather than losing hope… simply say “not yet” but soon.

Be patient. Paul urges us in Romand 12:12 to “rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Thinking, “not yet” (my prayer or desire has not happened yet) . .  .leaves room for you to keep anticipation alive – because there is always room for a shift.  It might not be a shift in the circumstance itself, but a shift in how you are experiencing it.  And that can make all the difference.

Hope can make the difference between hanging on and giving up.

Hope changes things.  Martin Luther King Jr. was a wonderful example of hope.

Hope mobilizes courage.

David, the shepherd and king who knew danger and discouragement, offered comforting words:

Psalm 33:22 “May your unfailing love be with us Lord, even as we put our hope in you.”  God is the source of love and hope.

Psalm 31:24 “Be strong and take heart all you who hope in the Lord.

So if you are in a tough time in any way at all, walk on, dear TSJ friends, with hope in your heart.  And anticipate encouragement from others, and courage for yourself.