RELYING ON HOPE

I have been seeing a lot lately on the topic of “hope.”

I know hope for a lot of us is hard to digest. There is no denying that! But, hope is needed to face some of our painful trials. Again, there is no denying that!

Hope for me, even though at times is hard, helps me to face my past trauma’s as the reward is so much greater than the pain (and I am willing to go through the pain). Hope for me helps in my low times of loneliness and despair. Hope for me is knowing while I am beating my fists against the door because I feel rejected or abandoned, helps me to carry on to my goal.

The devotional below shares how hope gives us strength to face our anguish of our past and the ability to sustain us as we go through our journey. Hope will always be there waiting in the wings to help pick us up when we feel we cannot continue. When we feel we cannot take another breath, or another step.

Hope to me is a powerful word that I am getting used to now and desire to incorporate into my vocabulary as well as into my heart!!!

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

Hope gives us strength. We need strength for the journey of recovery. We need strength to make the changes that need to be made -- and strength to grieve the losses which come with change. We need strength to keep on keeping on. Recovery requires a great deal of physical, emotional and spiritual strength. We draw that strength day-to-day from hope.

There are times when hope will allow us to soar. We will feel the exhilaration of change and new freedom. We will think about the future and imagine good things. We will soar with gratitude and joy because of hope.

There are other times when hope will allow us to run and not grow weary. We will keep going. Keep changing. Keep working. Keep feeling. We may get tired but hope will keep us from getting weary and wanting to give up. Hope helps us to keep running.

There are other times when hope will allow us to walk without fainting. Some days, in our recovery journey, continuing the journey at all is very difficult. The struggle we face may be so intense that we would faint if it were not for hope. But hope helps us to take the next step. One slow step at a time. Step by step, without fainting.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of hope.
Thank you for the days when hope allows me to soar.
And for the days when it allows me to keep running.
And thank you for the days when hope gives me the courage to walk without fainting.
Thank you for hope. Amen.

Copyright Dale and Juanita Ryan