Hope Floats
I don’t know about you, but there are a lot of interruptions that happen in my daily life.
As women, we tend to be planners and executers. We have ideas, expectations and plans about our lives and the lives of others. Much of the tension, stress, worries, anxious thoughts and depression comes from being disappointed by these interruptions. Some of them are low-impact while others change our lives forever.
News that your car is going to require extra repairs.
Realizing the affairs of our country and world are much bleaker than you wanted to believe.
The aging parent who has suddenly gone from independence to total dependence on you.
The finances that were looking so good last month grinding to a halt as you find yourself jobless.
Finding out you did not get into the college of your dreams.
A broken relationship.
Having a routine doctor’s appointment and getting that message on your VM that you have an abnormal test and need to come back.
Getting that unexpected late night call from your teenager who has made some really bad choices.
A friendship interrupted by conflict leaving you wondering if resolution is even an option
News that a loved one or friend has passed away.
Or _________________________.
No one plans for any of these things and yet we put so much stock and expectation in our ability to control and manage these unwanted interruptions. God, in His grace and patience, lets us have our way in how we respond to them. But HE will always have HIS way in how He orchestrates those interruptions so that we can experience HIM!
For many Christians, it’s easy to say we’re trusting God with our lives when faced with the unexpected, but our actions reveal that we are continually working to deliver ourselves. We still want to be in control. Our prayer life becomes a place where we are telling God the game plan instead of listening to His plans and purposes for our lives. Our days are marked by anxious thoughts, worry, unrealistic expectations on ourselves and others, and self-centeredness. And even our physical health takes a toll. If this is a place you find yourself today in, my honest question is: How's that working out for you?
For me, not so good!
May I encourage some of you who are disappointed by how your life has turned out or where you find yourself in this season of life? God in His grace allows us to experience all the imperfections- the insufficiencies of the things we place hope in -until we come to a deeper understanding that He alone is all we need. One of the greatest set ups of our lives is thinking that what we hope for in people, our circumstances, ourselves and the world we live in, will ever be able to meet all our needs and make us fully satisfied.
Remember...
We must fight to make God the answer to our hopelessness.
He is the only one who can deliver us from those areas in our life that rob us of Hope. We will sink and take people with us, if our hope is anchored to anything or anyone else apart from Christ.
Hope in Christ gives us assurance that we can stay afloat in this crazy journey on this side of eternity.
How do we maintain a lifestyle filled with hope? The simple answer is this:
Shift your attention and focus off of people and the things you are disappointed by and ask God to give you an attitude of gratitude.
Ask God to help you see your life from His point of view. (open up your Bible if you need reminders)
Is there an opportunity to serve someone around you? A smile, a coffee, an encouraging text, help with childcare, a financial gift?
Invite a few close friends to pray for you. Specifically, that you would draw close to God during this time. Pray for patience and strength for God to work all these interruptions out for good for your life.
The way to stay afloat has nothing to do with those unwanted interruptions, and everything to do with how anchored we are to Jesus.
It's His job to keep us afloat and our job to remember He can do that for us and that He is all we need.
““And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.””
— Romans 5:5