FINDING HOPE

Years ago, I encountered a spirited young woman named Hope who was bright, funny and intelligent. She was the accounts payable clerk in the hotel in which we both worked. We quickly became friends through our daily encounters whether in the café or the office. I found that we had a lot in common especially in regards to our relationships with our mates. We’d spend time laughing about what quirky, yet irritating event happened and would compare notes, so to speak. 

Overtime, I noticed some changes in Hope. She would stop by my desk and tell me the latest drama with her boyfriend. It seemed as if he would take her on a rollercoaster ride of the ups of intense happiness the downs of extreme sorrow. The stress overtime intensified and Hope had a hard time focusing on her work; just getting through the day seemed a task for her. There were days when Hope was so overwhelmed with problems that she resided in a constant state of confusion. Her conversation was broken because she was easily distracted by thoughts which ran through her troubled mind.  

One day, Hope and I had a brief conversation about going to church. She stated how she hadn’t been in quite awhile, but yet wanted to return. I had just become saved myself, therefore talking to her about God entailed sending her to a more mature believer in the office. She began by telling me things were getting pretty rocky for her because she was about to lose her home. She continued by stating how her boyfriend hadn’t been working, was not contributing to the household and her income wasn’t enough to take care of the bills. He also owed back child support in which she was paying in order to keep him out of jail. A few weeks later, she came with good news of marriage and she wanted things to turn around for her - and her now husband. After all she had been through with him; she felt that once they were married their problems would dissolve. Unfortunately, to my knowledge, they didn’t.   

With some nudging from her boss to prevent the loss of her job, Hope went to a counselor. I finally noticed something was wrong with Hope after she had been missing for a few weeks on vacation. Unfortunately, she eventually had a nervous breakdown. Circumstances in her life had taken over her thoughts and actions until she could no longer work and had to be medicated in order to think partially clear. Months later, I saw Hope as she returned to work. She didn’t seem like herself because she was so heavily medicated. Hope was like a person in the distance. She eventually lost her job and home. It saddened me to see her hurting, and the gossip that accompanied her breakdown, hurt her even more. I left that hotel never really knowing what happened to Hope or how she was doing. I prayed that she had found herself again and the Hope I knew returned to her former spirited self. 

Recently as I was in meditation and study, I found myself pondering about the hope (to desire something with confident expectation of its fulfillment) and trust (confidence in and reliance on) we need to put in God and not man. It brought me to recall my friendship with Hope and how she put her hope and trust in man (specifically her husband) and not completely in God. She unfortunately didn’t have anything to grasp onto once the circumstances in her life took a turn for the worse, even more so when her expectations and trust were crushed. I believe it was then that Hope lost her grasp on life and lost herself. 

When things go array in your life, where do you turn? Do you turn inside yourself, to others’, external drugs/alcohol or to God? Where do you place your hope? In whom do you place your trust? I watched Hope deteriorate from not finding Hope (and trust) in God. I encourage you today to find yourself (who you are in Christ) in Him! Put your hope and trust completely in the Almighty. He is the one who holds your peace, joy, comfort and all of your needs! God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that you can ask or think! Turn all your cares over to God today and watch Him do the supernatural for you! If you feel as if you have lost hope - rejoice! God can restore your hope! He’s the restorer of all things, including HOPE!

Praise Be to God and With God’s Love,

Dee-Dee McDuffie

07/11/11

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Scripture Meditations:

Psalm 118:8 (NIV)

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man

Psalm 25:3 (AMP)

Yes, let none who trust and wait hopefully and look for You be put to shame or be disappointed; let them be ashamed who forsake the right or deal treacherously without cause.

Psalm 42:5 (AMP

) Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God. 

Psalm 62:5 (AMP)

My soul, wait only upon god and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him.

Jeremiah 29:11 (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…..”