Where do you find hope?

This is a true event that happened to me this week. It broke my heart and at the same time made me more determined and increased my hope.

I walked to the counter at McDonald's and was greeted by a young woman about the same age as my son. While waiting for some hot fries to come up, I started to chat with her. She told me that her father had vertigo and described some symptoms. When I asked her if he had Meniere's, she told me he had died of a heart attack 4 years ago. Standing there with my son, my heart broke for this young girl. As awful as Meniere's is, my family still has me. I can't do most things that other dad's can, but I can share the joys and sorrows of my kids. I can offer guidance and advice. They can come to me and know I am here and will do everything in my power for them. My father died when I was about 35 and I feel robbed of some years with him. Her father died when she was 12. As this disease sucks so much joy and quality from our life, I can't imagine not seeing my son and daughter grow up. I can't imagine their life without their daddy. No, I can't play basketball or throw a football with my son. I can't do a lot of things that others take for granted with their daughters. But I can tell them I love them and hug them tight each night. I can hear their precious voices say "Good morning", "Good night", and best of all "I love you."

 

Rev, thank you for sharing that with us. God bless you and your family.

 

hey rev, it looks like that young woman taught you something. That is hope. It is out there in the most unexpected places. Yesterday I was painting and I was overcome with it. Why? WHo cares why. It washed over me and I felt cleansed with it.
Paul

 

Hope comes in the form of comfort from others, often those who share a bond - either spiritual or familial or through adversity.

"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and give us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word."
II Thessalonians 2:16-17

 

Kindness and Light

I get hard of heart sometimes
and construct walls of pain and hurt
Self-worth is questionable
Doubts are pervasive
Thoughts of failure and
not being enough swell in my brain
Then having sensed my need
someone prays for me and sends their love
My feebleness begins to dim
An unknown champion has refueled me and
in that moment all is well
Kindness and light from far away have
rekindled my spirit

« Last Edit: 10/03/06, 11:52:28 am by gardenfish »

 

It is said that God gave us three things Faith, Hope and Love. The greatest of these is Love. God himself is Love. So of course the greatest gift he gave was of himself. Faith is the confidence in things unseen. Knowing that the more we try it the more it supports us. This builds our faith. Hope is nestled in the middle. With Faith and Love surrounding it Hope will never be lost.

God Bless,
Mike

 

That's beautiful Mike.

 

Sometimes Mike, when you are so sick that survival seems a moment-to-moment issue, we can know that in our mind that hope is never lost, but it seems so illusive in reality.... it seems so tempting to just give up hope. I know there is a spiritual battle going on there. But when you are too weary to fight any more..... then what?

 

My Dear Sherry,


If I could, I would be there in an instant to give you a big hug. Sometimes it seems a cliché, but the truth is “the trying of your faith is more precious than Gold refined in fire.” God wants us to be totally dependent on him. The trials he sends are not a punishment they are His way of showing us his Love.

I am one who has said that I am closer to God when things are going well but I have seen that it is because then I feel in control. I appreciate what God has done, but I want to live my life on this earth under my terms.

We tend to think we know what is good, but none of us has seen what it will be like in heaven. If we truly submit to his will, as it will be in the future, we can have a glimpse of heaven. When all hope is lost, we have no where to turn but to ourselves or God. That feeling of “totally alone” that nobody truly understands what we are feeling then we can be in an undistracted condition with God.


Take this moment Sherry. Close your eyes. Talk to Jesus as though he were a real person. Don’t be shocked that I say this. It is easy to say we believe, but have we really taken the time to let Jesus talk to us? Too often we pray and let our minds answer the prayer by what we have heard or read. Jesus is real. A real resurrected being, capable of communication. Let your mind be clear . Let your heart be touched. Trust with all that you are and let yourself go. In this I find hope and peace and comfort.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13


according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 1:2-3


God Bless,
Mike

 

Mike, your words brought tears of joy to my eyes today. I know you were writing to Sherry, but I needed your message. It never stops amazing me how God provides our needs. Thank you.

 

Mike, I know all that you say is true. My favorite verse, the one that is red flagged with an index tab in my Bible, is II Cor. 12:9-10. I know that when I am weak, He is strong and so boasting in my weakneses, my lack of resources, my inadequacies is what makes room for the power of Christ to "tabernacle" in me. Such a cool word. Think of the tabernacle in the wildernesss - where God dwelt. Isn't that amazing?

Also I know that the silver refiner sits at the smelting pot and WATCHES it carefully. He never allows the fire to get to hot and spoil the ore, nor does he let the coals die down and the impurities are not burnt off leaving a poor quality metal. He WATCHES! He attends to, he SITS and watches, the verse says. He's not up wondering around tending to other duties.

But the fire is painful. Living sacrifices try to squirm off the altar. Friends like those of Job make hurtful remarks, or like his wife, give very bad advice. The Enemy is really at work, isn't he?

 

So true! Listen to that still small voice, the one you know is truth. Don't let the world take away your victory.

You know that Kim (Titus) and I and others here are praying for you. It does seem that when are closest to God that is when the enemy strikes hardest.

As I stated in my last post, take this time to listen to God. Close your eyes and pray. Then just listen. Climb into the arms of your Holy Father. He wants you there. He is not a distant being that watches you from afar, but he is a Father and wants you to come to him. Remember He is the perfect Father, not an earthly one with faults and mistakes, he loves you perfectly. I can only pray you feel what he has for you. Perfect peace that passes all understanding and a sleep that refreshes the soul.

God Bless,
Mike
ps: Thank you for your kind words Kim. It brought (Joyful) tears to my eyes knowing God let me bring (joyful)tears to yours. I know you are praying for us all.

 

:-* :-*

 

mike
you also spoke to me, i have been going through some trying times lately and it is just
so easy to throw up my hands and say i give up!!! thank you for your kinds words,
you never know how many people you are helping

 

Rae nell,

Thank you for the gift of the reply. It means a lot to me to know that I am helping others. I take no credit for the things I write, I just hit the keys and pray it comes out right.

There is nothing I have that I did not recieve from God so he gets all the credit.

I hope you continue to feel His Peace.

God Bless,
Mike

 

I shared with my psychologist the other day that I am seeing a pattern. When I am going into, in and coming out of a bout of Meniere's, I have no hope. This is when the anger really gets me. At this moment in time, my hope is that someday the scientists and doctors will find the cause/cure for those on this Rollercoaster ride and bring reliefe. Yeshua is still my strength and hope for the future. (right now is an in between time for me) :-\

 

Wow, what an important topic. When I was at my sickest, I was so very ANGRY with God, and Menieres, my friends ( or so called friends, and sometimes even my family. I was angry because of all that it was stealing from me. My sense of powerlessness was huge! And on top of the mm itself, I was even more angry because I (by God's grace & mercy) I did NOT get sober to feel drunk all the time!!!! (poor poor me ). What eventually happened for me, was a personal relationship with my Heavenly Father that I doubt would have happened otherwise. When all there was left was me, the toilet, a trash can and HIM, I drew closer to Christ than ever before. No, he did not strike my spinning still, nor did he cure me of menieres. What he did do is hold my hand as I suffered through these things. And he taught me that with faith, I need never be alone. For what ever reason, every ounce of pain in my life has pushed me closer to God than I ever would have walked on my own. And EVERY time I've called out, he has been there. He does not spoil me by making my life pain free, but he LOVES me by never bringing me to anything he won't walk, or carry me, through.

I wish you the clarity to see God's lesson for you!

Peace~
Laura

 

Romans 8:23-26 (New International Version)

23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.



Sometimes it is hard to wait patiently, but Laura, you are right, there is a lesson out there somewhere. I am continuing to learn many things from God because I have MM, and even more so because of my loss of hearing. That definitely feels like a WEAKNESS and one that I must lean of God for strength, since no human can supply.

 

"But we have the true hope that comes from being made right with God, and by the Spirit we wait eagerly for this hope." Galatians 5:5

What do you think this hope is?

 

HeadNoise.....You are my hope...thank you for all your kind words....I keep reading and rereading them.