It was that dreaded sound —the sound of hope giving way to defeat. The ache right in the center of your chest when a dream flies away before your eyes and no amount of chasing can bring it back within your grasp.
Sometimes it is easier to give up hope than to hold on to something that brings with it such pain and uncertainty. It seems easier to let it go, to let life go and accept defeat. We wonder why we hope anyway? But at times when hope seems like a cruel joke meant to terrorize the tender shoots of vision, of vulnerability, of boldness struggling to find some light, hope reminds me that there is no cruelty here. The gift of hope becomes rain poured over cracked, broken dreams, that somehow forces life to break through the soil and find their way towards the sun.
Hope is an anchor
Hope keeps me anchored and rooted, not to my dreams, but to Him. Though my dreams can be uncertain and faithful, He alone is faithful. The goals for my life cannot provide peace or strength or sustenance on this sometimes desolate journey. Only God can provide any semblance of peace. Strength.
Hope alone calms me, calls me, reminds me of my core identity as Lisa, the Beloved of her Father. Hope holds all things —my tears, my sorrows, my deepest cravings for things I feel I cannot live without. Hope holds my past, my present, and my future.
So when your hope has run dry, when the mountain ahead seems insurmountable, go ahead, jump in the game, climb on His back. He’s got this big old thing called life. Yeah, He’s got it right in the palm of his hands.
I’ve tried it so many times without Him. There have been days that I sat and told Him, yes I looked Him right in the eyes and told Him I wanted to do things my way. But my way has always led me right back here. Usually exhausted. Defeated. Hope-less.
So where is there left to run to? I’m either all-in this “hope thing” or I’m all-out. And I’ve got to be in.
The truth is, none of us knows what lies ahead. We don’t know if or when we’re going to see the tiny visions we’ve carried for so long in our hearts burst forth and see the light of day. We don’t. In this life there are no guarantees. Like my daddy used to tell me, the only thing that’s guaranteed is death and taxes. I didn’t know then how right he was.
Hope would be easier to hold if it had a date on our calendar or a place on the map. Easier to believe if someone whispered the answer in your ears. But hope isn’t a location, I’ve come to learn the hard way. Hope isn’t a destination —Hope is a person.
We can keep telling ourselves that hope will come tomorrow, or we can start living with Hope today. Choosing Hope right here, right now. Wherever you are. Whatever you face.
Choosing Hope
What are you choosing today? Are you choosing doubt, despair, fear, paralysis? Are you choosing isolation, loneliness?
Or are you choosing Hope? Will you leave behind the cynical voice inside your head that tells you that nothing good happens for you? Will you uncross the arms of distance that keeps you safe from stepping into your future and taking the risk of going all-in —no safety net underneath you, no guarantees for success?
Will you open your heart and remember that Hope isn’t some elusive thing out there. Hope is right here —inside your heart. Hope is the place you start from, not the place you end. Hope hopes —in all things, for all things. Because Hope hung on a cross and died for our wounds, our transgressions, our most broken places….Hope endures, comes alive, is a promise for all of us.
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NIV)
Yeah, I heard that dreaded sound. I felt that familiar ache in my chest. And I chose Hope anyway.
What will you choose?
About This Community
Don't we all want a little peace? My heart for this community is to provide just that - a needed refuge from all the burdens that weigh us down, some encouragement and inspiration to keep us weary travelers moving forward on our journeys, and some practical advice to help each of us navigate the challenges of life and relationships. Whether in our parenting, our marriages, our faith, or the broken places in our hearts, this place is for anyone who dares to reach beyond the hopelessness that surrounds us and embrace a lifestyle of emotional abundance and peace!
About Peace for a Lifetime
In my book, Peace for a Lifetime, I share the keys to cultivating a life that’s deeply rooted, overflowing, and abundant, the fruit of which is peace. Through personal and professional experience as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I've discovered how to take the broken pieces of life and find indestructible peace with myself, God and with others. Through my story and other’s stories you’ll realize that you can experience the life for which you long. You can experience abundance beyond anything you can imagine. You can experience peace, not just for today, not just for tomorrow. You can experience peace —for a lifetime!
Peace for a Lifetime is available on Amazon.com.
Book Trailer: https://vimeo.com/155392891