Hope in the midst of…
June 12, 2008
It is one thing to speak of hope when things look doubtful… when the future is uncertain… when circumstances are crowding in. It is something else to speak of hope when there is no doubt about the present (it is a disaster) when the future is certain (and definitely uninviting) when circumstances have crushed you to the floor.
Hope in the midst of utter turmoil cannot simply be starry-eyed optimism. It must be built on bedrock reality.
Bedrock Reality. Not just reality but BEDROCK reality. That means no matter what may come my way, I will stand firm and have hope. My hope is in my Savior, even though I question His goodness and love for me all. the. time. I question His actions and/or lack of actions all. the. time.
Hope and Questioning are not polar opposites, you can have one while fully experiencing the other.
People often tell me, especially in the hospital or at Doctors visits to “not lose hope” when I have anything other than a smile on my face. They throw that phrase around like I am doing some grave thing by showing my true emotions; surely the expression on my face means I have lost all hope.
Not.
Look at Job. He cried out to God: “How long will you torment me!” yet he still had hope. He still knows that the future holds the promise of resurrection, no matter what this earth holds for him. He knows that the Lord has never. once. left. his side, and that He has a perfect plan.
Yet he still questions God. (Job 23)
Then Job replied:
“Even today my complaint is bitter;
his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.
If only I knew where to find him;
if only I could go to his dwelling!
I would state my case before him
and fill my mouth with arguments.
He still had emotions. He still cried out.
He still believed that God was big enough to handle it.
Would he oppose me with great power?
No, he would not press charges against me.
He still believed God was in control.
But he knows the way that I take;
when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
My feet have closely followed his steps;
I have kept his way without turning aside.
I have not departed from the commands of His lips.
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.
So when you feel angry, depressed or royally ticked off at your current situation, don’t keep it in side. Don’t put on a facade and walk around with a plastered fake smile on your face, because the one who truly can help you through it, sees through it. He knows every thought you have and every fear you have experienced.
And He still cares.
Deeply.
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In other words: Play Nice
35 Responses to “Hope in the midst of…”
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This is why you are an inspiration.
Vickis last blog post..Fasting
Dearest Heather,
I couldn’t agree more…I wrote a post yesterday and thought of you. God is BIGGER than our fears, BIGGER than our doubts and BIGGER than our anger! Life in Christ is REAL LIFE…He’s not fake and He certainly doesn’t expect us to be. Thank you dear one for sharing your heart…I so appreciate you and Christ IN you!! Keep on walking with Him…you are running well!!! :) Love and prayers.
Karis last blog post..Works For Me Wednesday
Dear Heather,
I love the whole book of Job for the exact reason you said. It is a book of hope of course but Job did cry out and feel frustrated. Those are very very very normal human responses. It’s a pet peeve of mine too when there’s some kind of crisis or health scare in our family and I’m not sporting a plastered smile on my face. People say the same thing, don’t lose hope, it’ll be fine, or you’re not trusting in God. Well of course I know that but I’m human too, just like Job. Goodness, he lost everything, e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! Not just livestock or home, but his family as well. Then he ends up with a physical illness too. You just can’t get anymore low than that can you. Sometimes I think Christians have this strange picture of how you should act in times of crisis or despair. They (in the goodness of their hearts) are trying to help but most times it just makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong. Anyhow, your post was right on the money! I think you’re fabulous and that you are handling these situations wonderfully. Emma is just as fabulous too! Being fabulous must run in your family!
Molly (:
oh my… i really needed that today. i printed your last paragraph and it’s taped to my computer screen to remind me i need not be hopeLESS. thank you and take care.
I keep coming back each day, knowing God will use you to break through the fog and speak truth. Thank you, dear Heather.
God can handle it, I know, because I have tested this one out before many times. I read of David pouring out his heart before God, a man after God’s own heart, and am reminded that I can do that, too.
Which brings me to this–you, Heather, are a woman after God’s own heart. He treasures you so very much!!
with love,
holly
holly smiths last blog post..In His Image
I love you Heather and I love this post. I always believe in Hope. And Hope is an inside job of the heart, not determined by the outer appearance of plastered smiles and religious cliches. It is a condition of the heart, and you have it!!!
A dear cyber friend of mine sent me this quote and I thought I would share it with you. (Sorry it is so long, but really describes the kind of Hope I feel in my heart.
“The kind of hope I often think about (especially in situations that are particularly hopeless) I understand above all as a state of mind, not a state of the world. Either we have hope within us or we don’t; it is a dimension of the soul. It is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart, it transcends the world that is immediately experienced, and is anchored somewhere beyond its horizon.
{He concludes} Hope is an ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it sstands a chance to succeed. The more unpropitious the situation in which we demonstrate hope, the deeper that hope is. Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.” Vaclav Havel.
I continue to pray for you and your family as you trust the One who holds you all so dearly close to His heart.
Love, Laurie in Ca.
Dear Heather,
What you have written is so true. Faith and hope are what we have. When the difficult times come, that is when our faith is the most important thing. I know in the difficult periods of life, God has a plan. It may not be revealed but He sees the big picture. Trust.
You and your family continue to be an inspiration for all that visit here.
God bless all of you. He is holding you in the palm of his hand.
hugs to you,
Barb
Barbs last blog post..I’m Celebrating!
Excellent point, Heather. Just because we have our moments of frustration and fear doesn’t mean we don’t have hope.
Kim Priestaps last blog post..Little Miss Throwsafit is sick
This is a great post! It is so hard to know what to say to people when we are down, but it is okay to be down. It’s okay to be tired and weary. I know that God is always there for me, I just need to ask and he will provide all the help I need!
Thanks for the message!
Tirzahs last blog post..Sleep Book Review
Oh did I ever need your post today…. I have never commented on your blog - but do check in on you and your family… things are a little hard for us right now - but this truely hit home for me…. You have been a blessing for me today!! Thanks!
Danielles last blog post..Too Sweet…
Amen!
Thanks as always for keeping it real.
JanMary, N Irelands last blog post..WFMW - Ikea and More Paris
Can I copy this for my blog?
k-
kates last blog post..God’s Love for you
Fabulous, darling! So, so true. You know Jesus even said that he will not condemn those who question Him, but blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is a sin that will not be forgiven.
Having hope does not mean we can’t cry about our situation, we all do that. There are so many things in this world we just can’t understand on THIS side, but they will be revealed to us on the other side and then it will all make sense.
God gives me so much hope, and I do take comfort in knowing that He does see everything I do, knows everything I think, and feels everything I feel. I just like knowing that He knows and He does care.
This post was great. I am so happy Emma Grace is feeling better and what a blessing for her 7th Birthday, Praise the Lord for that! He truly is a wonderful God. :)
Heathers last blog post..Look at me mommy.
“That means no matter what may come my way, I will stand firm and have hope. My hope is in my Savior,…”
Fabulous post and so very, very true. I can so relate to Job and you are so right we do have to face reality head on like a brick wall in front of us and we can still have hope, still be real, still be who we are and show how we feel.
God Bless You…Still keeping you and yours in my prayers even though a lot of times I have no clue as how to pray…Now that’s real.
Kathleen Maries last blog post..
Thanks for the reminder… I needed it.
Amy (Dandelion Seeds)s last blog post..Death
I agree with Vicki. You are inspiring.
HennHouse (Karin)s last blog post..One of those days
Amen, Heather! You are exactly right. God is our hope, and He loves us with an everlasting love.
Cathys last blog post..Lovely Magnolias
You have been on my mind so much this week. I watched the Bucket list and immediatley thought of you and other people in my life affected by Cancer. I always wonder how I would handle this path…I can say how I would react, but I am sure it would be quite difficult and different. I visit you daily and worry when I don’t see a new post. Don’t take that as a nag…please take it as a sister in Christ who cares for you and your family. Thinking and praying of you often….enjoy your family!
You are AMAZING!!! You bring me hope.
Continuing to pray for you and yours.
Sweet Heather–I have struggled with that “fake” smile for a long time now. I am afraid at times to show what’s really going on inside. Maybe it’s my way of hoping the situation will go away or something, I am not sure. However, thank you for posting this. I have found, too, that when I show my down side on my face people try to cheer me up and get me to smile. But what if I don’t want to smile? People, I found, can’t handle the negative truth when I am down. This was awesome! Thank you for posting. And yes, I have read the book of Job a zillion times it seems like to gain strength and comfort. Still praying for you!
I love your transparency Sweet Heather. God glows from your keyboard into so many hearts daily. If you were on the mission field you could not reach so many hearts with Jesus’ truths!
Why hope in desperate circumstances?
Because unlike Job, YOU DO KNOW the answers to his questions.
If only I knew where to find him;
if only I could go to his dwelling!
YOU KNOW EXACTLY where HE is and where HE dwells.
And because of your tenacity to blog so does everyone else who reads your words.
Soldier on!
because of Jesus, Bobbie
bobbies last blog post..Prayer needed here….
So much more than hope, you are faithful to the Lord. Blessings.
Debs last blog post..Cowboy Camp
Heather I love this post. It is something that I struggle with all the time. I don’t know why admitting that one is fearful or struggling is understood as being hopeless. You can be hopeful but still question the obstacles placed in front of you. It is all part of the process of understanding, of being human. It saddens me when people view vulnerability as a character flaw. I see it as a great strength. It takes a lot of courage to be honest with one’s self and others. Thank you for your courage, you have no idea how your words help and heal.
Visiting your blog inspires me to keep on seeking the Lord and His will in my life, to leave the worries and then wants of this life in His hands, there I find peace
Blessings,
Praying for you
Maries last blog post..
This was just awesome Heather!
Thanks for always “ministering to us in the midst of all you go through”. God is glorified, once again.
LOVE that song?
Susans last blog post..From Head to Toe
Amen, sister. This is what keeps me coming back. You are a true instrument of God.
Many Blessings,
Paula
I am a breast cancer survivor, and also a leukemia (AML) survivor. I had a bone marrow transplant, and just within the last two weeks found out I have a complication from the bone marrow transplant. It is called Bronchiolitis Obliterans and it looks like COPD. We adopted a little baby, and I have been short of breath, and then was finally diagnosed! I wrote on my blog that I wanted my daughter to see that you go through all of the emotions–anger, depression, sadness, then acceptance. I swing through these on a daily basis. I had a pastor from our church call and ask if I believed in healing–well, I was through the bone marrow transplant and I thought God would have known of these obstacles in our way. But I do know that great things have been done in medicine, but I read your blog when our baby naps. YOU are very encouraging, and God has a purpose for your life on this earth. It gets frustrating because people (usually Christians) are most critical of how one handles things. I showed a friend my chemo book and she was shocked by the line that said “You (the doctor) tried to kill me, it didn’t work” but I felt it and God knew it and I knew the chemo was ultimately going to heal me. She said I should pray to God and ask for forgiveness! Well, there are a lot worse things I’ve done and said and written.
Best of luck to you and your family, and know that you encouraged me today!
Diane
I, too, needed this. I feel sometimes like I am losing hope because the circumstances aren’t getting any better. I can’t show anything but a fake smile to protect my children, can’t confide in another soul, so God alone knows what I am going thru, what my husband has done to me. I know Who God is, but the always loving me part is harder to hold on to. He loved me enough to die for me, doesnt He love me enough to end my suffering? Hard to find God in this, wonder if He’s listening….
Fabulous, fabulous post. I hope you are working on a book, becuase I will be the first in line to purchase it. I read your entries and then re-read and re-read them just to wrap my mind around them and really take it in (my computer version of “highlighting” :) )
I have learned so much from you - amazing when we’ve never “met”
Thank you for sharing it all…
Beautifully said! And so true. We’re going through some really junky stuff right now and we do have hope in the midst of the junk!
dawns last blog post..Friday Show and Tell - and Twin Update
God bless you, sister.
Dear Heather, I found this link through an old letter I wrote 3yrs ago. Today, a lady got up and testified to her healing from cancer,in Church,(Dayspring Church in Sydney) and a couple of weeks ago, an old man was healed of Parkinsons disease, with a doctors certificate to prove it. The healing revival, with Todd Bentley, Bethel Chuch at Redding, and others, is moving around the world. Remember, sickness and disease are the works of the devil, and Jesus went around healing all that were afflicted by the devil. Jesus work on earth was to destroy the works of the devil, and that baton has been passed onto us.
Whenever we pray for healing for ourselves or others, then the enemy knows that we are coming to destroy his works and is set to defend his work. he does this by doubt or unbelief, or even logic. You must constantly tell these thoughts to SHUT UP AND GET OUT! Eventually they will decrease as you grow stronger in your determination to destroy his works, as I am sure that you are already doing. Don’t listen to those negative thoughts that are trying to convince you that you aren’t worthy of God’s grace, I asked God last week, ” What is your nature “, He gave me the verse, Nehemiah 9:17, the last part.
Your Father loves you and wants you well, don’t let the enemy lie to you and get away with it, rise up in battle against him, you have been authorised, and equiped, you have all you need, as well as those who love you and support all you are doing.
To finish, win the battle in the mind against the wiles of the devil first, then seek for the healing that is already yours.
Jamie, my 8 yr old daughter, is doing great, we believe she is completely healed, even the doctors can’t believe that she is doing so well, one doctor looked at her test results and shook her head in disbelief,and said,” If anybody saw these results and looked at you, they would say that you never had leukemia!”. Glory to God for He abounds in loving kindness for His kids, after all, that is his nature. God bless, Peter.
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The video of Rita Springer’s song is so profoundly beautiful that no words exist that would do it justice. Thank you for sharing your strong, enduring faith with me through the means of your awesome blog. You’re a true witness of the power of our Lord and Saviour.