Hope

There are times when hope seems lost and that the light at the end of the tunnel will never shine. We cry at night and we feel the burden of what we long for. I understand because I have been there; I know what it is like to cry, to hope for, and to lament. The saying “hope deferred makes the heart sick” is true but “a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” You will see that tree!

There are seasons in life that test our character and strength. Seasons where we want to bury our heads in the sand and give up. Seasons of depression and despair. Hope is defined as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. There were times when I lost hope and felt discouraged—even when my pillows became the world’s biggest soft tissues.

Through it all, I have been kept. I have learned that hope is not defined by what you can receive but by what you give. Hope comes from within; it is a gift from above and a fruit of the spirit. Our trust levels and faith also define hope. While I do not have all the answers to the problems I have and will have in life, one thing that I do have is hope and peace. The type of peace that surpasses all understanding and places my hope in something far greater than the world can offer.

Even in the coldest of winters and darkest of nights, stay steadfast and do not lose your confidence. Do not trade in your joy, and yes, there is a difference between happiness and joy. Whatever situation or depression you are facing, remember this too shall pass. It always rains before the rainbow.