Looking for hope?

There’s always HOPE.

It might be hard to see at times especially when it’s clouded by a stream of “No’s” and dead end attempts to find what you’re looking for.
But it’s there.
It’s always within reach.

I suffer from clinical depression and my daughter suffers from clinical depression and anxiety.

If you’ve walked any part of that journey you know hope can be fleeting at times – difficult to hold onto and excruciating when you think there’s none.

Yesterday I saw a true mental and physical response to hope.

My daughter has been struggling and just the “thought” that there are a few things we can do to improve her situation brought about a new strength and resilience. She had hope. Just knowing that help was around the corner has given her an improved outlook and courage.

Hope has an amazing power over us. It strengthens and compels us to continue.

I dare say it’s the driving force behind most of what we do.

Think about it.

You work for a living to earn a paycheck….and have hope that it will make your life better, easier, happier.

You exercise……and have hope that it will better your health and increase your weight loss.

You date, get married, have kids, change jobs, go shopping, garden….all with an expectation of something great happening. (Although with a string of dead plants in my wake, I am starting to loose hope in my gardening abilities)

Official definition:
Hope is an optimistic attitude of mind based on an expectation of positive outcomes related to events and circumstances in one’s life or the world at large. As a verb, its definitions include: “expect with confidence” and “to cherish a desire with anticipation”

Hope is intangible but incredibly real.  Without it we would surrender to complete despair.

Some days I am filled with hope. Other days, hope feels like a four letter word.

We live in a world that is filled with laughter, tears, disappointment, grace, fear, terrorism, birthday parties – talk about the ying and yang of HOPE. One day things look promising, the next day it all hits the fan.

So what is it within us that continually craves HOPE? Even the smallest bit helps soothe our soul.

I believe it’s because HOPE is spiritual.

It’s a gift – a hard-wiring from your creator because this is not your final destination. He wants you to have HOPE because this is not your home. He created you to know Him and have hope that He has a place prepared for you and promises to wipe every tear from your eye.

Each day on this earth we look for short-term hopes to make our survival happier, a little more comfortable. But what happens when this world strips you of all hope and life gets the upper hand?

Where is your hope then? What are you hoping for?

I think the answer lies within the question – in whom is your hope? (not sure if that’s grammatically correct but you know what I mean).

TRUE hope is found in Jesus. In fact Jesus knew this world would tear at our souls and try to get us down so He left us with these words found in the book of John, Chapter 16, Verse 33.

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” – Jesus

There’s life beyond the good days and the bad days. There is HOPE for eternal life with a loving God who can’t wait for you to see Him face to face.

When depression hits a low, I cling to this hope.

Perhaps that’s another reason I enjoy the whole transformation of furniture and accessories. At first glance I see dirty, old, worn-out and possibly quite useless items; but usually within a minute or so I see HOPE.

New paint – New fabric – New knobs – New purpose. HOPE.

Hope for depression. Hope for old and ugly furniture.

May your hope be increased today.

Till the next time,

Julie b.