Where's the hope?

I thought of this yesterday as I sat in my little cubicle at work and listened to another co-worker express her fear over being laid off.

A little back-story for those of you whom I may not have shared:we have been told at my place of employment that we will more than likely not have jobs by the end of next July.

ME.... a year ago, would have been FREAKING OUT!

ME....TODAY, I am not worried at all.

Life circumstances has made this co-worker an extremely volatile person. Her emotional and mental stability is often hanging on by a thread. We have had so many discussions about life and God and positive attitude and she just cannot seem to get the picture. She cannot stand on her tippy-toes and see what awaits her outside of the trench she lives in.

It reminded me of a scripture. While this scripture is specifically talking about death, it made me realize that the principle Christ was trying to teach applies to all aspects of life.
In I Thess. 4:13 it says "...so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope."
As I sat there listening to her cry I realized this is what life looks like with no hope and I looked this exact way a year ago.


The difference

I had the hope inside of me but did not act like it.

Life has been crazy. There have been some roller coaster hills in my life that I would challenge the biggest baddest thrill-seeker in the world to take on.

[sorry my english teacher friend, I know I am not supposed to end a sentence with a preposition but I couldnt figure out how to make it sound right]


A year ago, I sat in a phsychologist's office hashing out all the wrongs in my life, all the people who had wronged me, all the people I felt as though I had wronged, and feeling like the only function I had left was breathing in and breathing out.
This dear Christian woman listened to me cry and blubber and she completely understood how I felt. [I know...it is her job]
She connected me to someone in my church who had gone through and was going through some of the same things I was experiencing. Together, they built up a wall around me to support me, guide me and teach me how to be a Christian wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend.
I have not conquered this problem. I had a small melt-down over life just the other day. BUT the meltdowns are not every hour or even everyday... sometimes i can go weeks without having a good "cry-fest".

The difference

I now understand the hope that I have

I realized in all my blubbering and complaining I was doing,I was only showing non-believers that Christ offered nothing more than what they already had.

If I was not strong with Christ,how can Christ help them?

I do have hope.
I have hope that one day I will see my Lord's face.
I have hope that one day I will see my sister who passed away 23 years ago.
I have hope that one day my husband and I will be healed and put into perfect bodies.
I have hope that God's will is being done as I pound out this blog.
I have hope that God will answer my prayers.

Sometimes we really do need to write down the things we can have hope in before we are so hopeless we become helpless.

Life's storms

While I sit here in the beach cottage listening to the wind bustle around the house and watching the rain fall from east to west, I realize I may hear and see these things but I don't feel these things.

Why?


The beach cottage isn't huge but its sufficient. It keeps me warm or cool and it has everything I need for survival.

What does the beach cottage not do?

It doesn't stop the storm. The storm still rages and I can still see trash bins, debris, and sand flying by but I am safe.

If we have a true relationship with Christ

is He not our beach cottage?

He does not stop our storms but He does protect us and give us what we need to survive. The storms are rough but we have a cottage.

Storms are unavoidable. It seems as though they never stop. Sometimes life is like a constant hurricane season. As soon as one storm goes up the coast another one is soon to follow.


One of my favorite songs as I have gotten older is "The Anchor Holds". Through each death I experienced throughout my young life, these words have always been true.

I have journeyed
through the long dark night
out on the open sea
by faith alone
sight unknown
and yet His eyes were watching me


the Anchor holds
though the ship is battered
the anchor holds
though the sails are torn
I have fallen on my knees
as I faced the raging seas
the Anchor holds
in spite of the storm

I've had visions
I've had dreams
I've even held them in my hand
but I never knew
they would slip right through
like they were only grains of sand

I have been young
but I am older now
and there has been beauty these eyes have seen
but it was in the night
through the storms of my life
ohh thats where God proved his love to me

the Anchor holds
though the ship is battered
the anchor holds
though the sails are torn
I have fallen on my knees
as I faced the raging seas
the Anchor holds
in spite of the storm


Life's storms are so hard but we know that the anchor we have is not going anywhere, we know that the beach cottage is always sheltering us from the wind and rain.

I know so many are struggling....
there are some storms or maybe even a hurricane we are facing and we don't feel very protected.

We feel like God is allowing our cottage to be torn down and the debris is flying in through every crack in the wall

I assure you He has not left you exposed

You will come through this storm and others will see that you had protection.

Those who have not discovered the security of the beach cottage will want to camp out in your cottage because they want to have the peace you have as they go through their storms.

God never sends a storm without giving us the opportunity to show His strength to unbelievers.

God never lets something happen in our lives without using it for His Glory.

God never allows us to be exposed to the elements without providing us a beach cottage.