Now what's YOUR story?
Journal entry for a Monday
Everything’s gray. Did someone swap the sun for blue LED? Can’t find a ray of color anywhere.I’m looking out a window at a gray, featureless sky. Somehow I remember that playground being set with colorful slides and swings—when did it turn gray? Thought maybe I was looking out the wrong kind of window so I checked my FaceBook page. Brilliant shades of gray.
No recent tragedies. No lack of blessings. Yet hopelessness settles on me gray.
Best I can remember, full-spectrum hope had an element of wishing. When did I stop wishing? Why?
Imagination once added another wavelength. Once I could dream! Do I have the energy to imagine again?
And I believed. Hope was never patient to wait for an actuary to calculate the odds. Hope just believed without the math.
So Graysoul—is there a ray of living color hope anywhere?
The story of us all:
Followers of Jesus are empowered to hope. We are filled with delight at the prospect of even more than our current blessings. We can cope with the hardships of life and even with death because of the hope we have in Jesus Christ.
One important Scripture:
Hebrews 6:19-20 – "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf."
Your own story:
- Would your friends say you are a hopeful person?
- Which of your friends or coworkers are you attracted to because of their buoyant hope?
- Can you remember a time when everything seemed stacked against you, and you still had hope?
- Can you think of a season when nothing seemed terribly wrong and yet hope was missing?
- Do you think hope is essential for living or more like a nice perk?
Ask someone: What are you hoping for?
4 Comments
The analogy in our verse about hope being an anchor is so accurate. If hope is the anchor, our relationship with Jesus would be the rope and we are the ship. What can secure us to hope, except Jesus?
In this regard, I would relate my level of hope to my prayer life. When I am diligent in setting time apart in the morning, before anyone else is up, to be in prayer with the Lord, my hope is firm. If I miss a morning devotion (wake up late, early appt, etc), and I don't spend time in scripture and prayer, then I feel the tossing of the waves through my day. I am less patient, quick to respond, and I am less hopeful.
When I was a child, we had a boat. One time, my step-dad threw out the anchor... and forgot to tie it to the boat. There went the anchor... there went the rope... and we kept on swaying on the waves. We have to secure ourselves to Jesus (the rope), or the anchor of hope isn't of any use.
Hebrews 6:19-20 – "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf." This is one of my favorite promises in God's Word. With all that is going on in the world and in my life, I thank Jesus that He is the firm and secure anchor for my soul.
After reading this my initial thought centered more around hopelessness in terms of a grave situation. My response was a quick assertion that I have not lost hope. But then I thought about the definition of hope itself… a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.
As I ponder that definition, I have to admit that I am not routinely hopeful. I do not find myself entertaining feelings of expectation or desire, definitely not concerning things that are outside of my control. I fail to ask God for things that would seem nonessential or even impossible to me. This lack of hope tends to keep me mired in the present and I miss out on the joy that comes with looking forward to what the future can hold.
I don’t think I’ve thought that deep in…ever! Haha
Anyway, I currently have a friend going through breast cancer treatment and her caring bridge updates are so full of joy and hope it’s hard to believe she has a health issue. I know it’s because of her hope in Christ.
When my mom was battling ALS I knew I was going to lose her but I also knew I would see her again someday because we both knew the sacrifice Jesus had made for us on the cross.
Hope is definitely essential