Holding onto Hope
First of all, thank you for your prayers for my Grandpa Hollie this week. He came through surgery really well. I so appreciate your support, sweet readers!
All that's happened in our family recently has brought to mind a devotional from my book, Rain on Me: Devotions of Hope and Encouragement for Difficult Times, so I'd like to share it with you today...
HOLDING ONTO HOPE
I wear two rings.
The ring on my left hand represents the commitment I've made to my husband.
The ring on my right hand is a simple silver ban with the word HOPE inscribed on it.
After experiencing a difficult season in my life, I bought the ring to be a daily reminder of my commitment to God and myself to live in HOPE no matter what happens.
Before this time in my life, I thought HOPE was an emotion. Now I've realized it's so much more...
HOPE is more than a word--
it's a state of being.
It's a firm belief that
even if you don't know how,
even if you don't know when,
God will come through
and better days are ahead.
Life brings rain...
HOPE dances in the puddles
until the sun comes out again.
The world or our circumstances may tell us, "Hope is dead. God is gone. There's nothing you can do." On those days we have to remember we're committed to HOPE no matter what happens.
Even when we can't see it.
Even when we don't feel it.
Even when all the evidence suggests the opposite.
Committing to HOPE doesn't mean believing that one day we'll get what we want. True HOPE is believing in unchanging truths...
God is good.
He has a plan.
We are loved.
Like a strong marriage sealed by a ring, that kind of HOPE can see us through a lifetime of "for better or worse."
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23
What helps you hold onto HOPE?
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psst. I'll tell you a little secret...
And you can get an extra 20% off with my friends and family coupon code, holley20.
It could be an encouraging Christmas gift or hopeful way to start off the new year.
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Hope is my word for this year Holley. We have come through a season of circumstances that nearly did me in. They really haven't changed, but hope.... For me hope is the knowing of who He really is. It is believing that He is all He has said He is and will do all He has promised to do. When I rest in that, I have great hope for the future - whatever it brings.
Posted by: Linda | December 04, 2009 at 07:13 PM
I read these words literally just minutes after it was confirmed that I'm having a miscarriage (I was reading blogs as I waited for the phone call from the doctor). I am devestated by this loss, and hurting all the more because of the season--I've always loved Advent and the thought of the church being 'pregnant' as we anticipate the celebration of Christ's birth. Now I can't figure out how I will get through the next few weeks...
Anyway... I needed this. And I am going to hold onto it with all my might and know that God's light always overcomes the darkness... even if it only comes in pinpricks at times. Thank you.
Posted by: Val | December 04, 2009 at 08:13 PM
Dear Val,
I just read your comment and I'm so sorry about the loss of your little one. I wrote the book I mentioned in the post because of my ongoing infertility journey, the hardest part of all being a miscarriage about three years ago. It was around Mother's Day and I agree that being close to a holiday makes it even harder. It's no coincidence that you read this post tonight. I believe it's God's way of holding your heart close to His and letting you know He's there and He deeply cares. My prayers are with you too...
Please let us know how you're doing.
Love,
Holley
Posted by: Holley Gerth | December 04, 2009 at 10:28 PM
Wow...you continue to get me EVERY TIME. "Committing to HOPE doesn't mean believing that one day we'll get what we want. True HOPE is believing in unchanging truths..." This is the truth of my life and sometimes I have to recommit to it daily. Thanks for the reminder today.
Posted by: Kristi | December 04, 2009 at 10:59 PM
Another great post, Holley. The idea that hope is a state of being and not just an emotion...that's a beautiful truth to share with us. In terms of essentials for living, it seems hope is right up there with breathing oxygen!
Val, I will hold you tightly in my prayers. This is a very, very hard season to endure such a loss. May you feel His arms wrapped more tightly around you than ever before.
Posted by: Kristen - Moms Sharpening Moms | December 05, 2009 at 04:02 AM
"Hope dances in the puddles until the sun comes out again."
Truly beautiful!
Praying for your family this season and for miracles to abound!
Posted by: Joye | December 05, 2009 at 07:33 AM
I hold onto hope by consciously choosing to remember the "impossible" things God has done for me in the past; giving us a home when we had none, a baby brought to term and joyful life after miscarriage..., jobs, cars, clothing, a daughter's dream of answered prayer for study in Germany (how often does someone give you a ring to sell worth the airfare to Germany?), and many, many more.
Thank you for the reminder, Holley. God bless you for sharing!
Posted by: Joni | December 05, 2009 at 01:46 PM
this is beautiful, holley.
i love hearing about your heart.
Posted by: Sarah Markley | December 05, 2009 at 08:31 PM
What a beautiful post once again Holley, I appreciate the scripture you quoted: " Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23." The Lord's promise is always faithful...There is so much in your blog about Hope that I can learn from... "Hope is more than a word. It's a state of being. It's a firm belief that even if you don't know how, even if you don't know when God will come through and better days are ahead." I just want to ponder these beautiful words of encouragement form you once again. I will also share these Hope encouragement with my Brother & Sister-in-Law who are under a lot of life's challenges. I know they will be so blessed when I share this with them and better days are ahead..!
Posted by: Maria Jones-Davidson | December 06, 2009 at 02:10 AM
I think this is the second time I have read this particular exerpt from that book. It's on my wish list-I love this post! Beautifully expressed!
Sweet Val- you are in my prayers dear sister. God has you in the palm of His mighty hand and He wants you to know it.
Posted by: Katie | December 06, 2009 at 09:02 PM
I am so glad to hear your grandfather is doing well. I have been praying. Also love the post on hope. Don't we all need a reminder of what God holds out to us if we will only take it from Him?
Posted by: Sandi | December 08, 2009 at 08:20 PM
So glad to hear your Grandpa is doing well!
Seeing that you've posted is one of the joys in my life - your words mean so much to me so often. Thank-you for sharing your heart.
Posted by: Rebecca | December 08, 2009 at 09:29 PM
This post brings to mind a post that had the same title that I wrote shortly before the birth of our twin daughters -- one of them would pass from life support to life eternal just two days later.
The words I wrote still ring true, but in ways I never imagined they would back then. When I wrote this, all I was thinking was that I was going to become a dad for twin girls, and I wasn't sure if I could handle it. Now I would give anything to find out...
Back in April 2008, it was sort of like "theory" to me, but the last 20 months has made it much more "real."
Posted by: Alan Ward | January 04, 2010 at 03:51 PM