How I Recaptured Hope
It had been a horrendous year and I was reeling from my mom's death, a serious medical issue that caused me to be without a job for the first time in my life, and having my husband leave me for the second time. I was in a deep, deep pit of despair and could see no way out. I felt like there was not a single part of my life that was right and I didn't know what to do. At that moment I had given up and all I wanted to do was die.
Fortunately, God had another plan for me... As I sat alone in my house contemplating suicide I cried out to God, pleading for the answer to all my problems. After what seemed like hours of crying and praying I felt compelled to open my Bible. I was so distraught that I had no idea where to begin reading so I turned to the Concordance in the back of the Bible and started skimming through the pages until I spotted the word "hope" and that's when I found the answer I needed for that exact moment:
"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."
~Jeremiah 29:11
That was the beginning of my journey to recapture hope. From the moment I read that passage in Jeremiah, my hope began to return. I couldn't seem to stop reading - there were so many Bible passages that seemed specifically aimed toward me and brought me hope. I listed and linked some of my favorites down below under "God's Words of Hope." If you have other passages that helped you, please share by posting the Chapter and Verse on the Blog Posts and I will link them to an online Bible.
During my journey to recover hope, all my free time (and I had lots of it) was devoted to reading God's Word, praying, journaling, listening to songs of encouragement, reflecting on daily devotions and blogs from people like Os Hillman, Rachel Olsen, Sharon Jaynes, Melissa Taylor, Samantha Reed, Carol Davis, Gwen Smith, Mary Southerland, Charles Stanley, and countless others. Gradually I was feeling the hope and joy again that had been suppressed for so long. Also, during this time of recaptured hope, I participated in a time of prayer and fasting for the first time and I have never felt so close to my Lord. Immediately afterwards I was blessed with a spiritual healing. I am humbled that God loves me so much that He granted me the ability to feel hope again. Hope is out there for you too and God wants you to have it.
All the glory is God's!!!!
Since I began this Blog, God has continued to fill me with hope. Although my medical issues have resulted in permanent disability, my blessings overflow. As always, "hope springs eternal!" If this blog has given you hope or if you have a story of hope, please share it with others by posting on the "Blog Posts." I am sure there are people out there who need to find or recapture hope and you can serve as God's vessel through your story.
Blessings,
findinghope
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