Stories of Hope: Propelling Hope

This is the latest post in our series, “Stories of Hope” featuring friends, some of whom are sisters, mothers, grandmothers, and their experience with Hope. Do you need hope? Join my friend Miriam as she shares her experience of hope on the blog today.

A Listening Heart

Take the first step towards healing and growth. Book your free call now and let’s journey together in faith and friendship.

SELECT THE TIME THAT WORKS FOR YOU

I had a very good week. My son was feeling better when we received a call from the clinic that he could start treatment the following week. We waited a long time so the call from the clinic brought great news! My son struggles with anxiety.

Even though I was waiting for treatment to start, I was swimming in discouragement and constant worry for his health. So when I received the news from the clinic, I had a deep feeling of hope and gratitude as I reflected on all the blessings and gifts that I have been given. In the midst of gratitude, hope stood tall, inside me. I felt the deep, soft, and gentle feeling of hope all over my body. I wanted to hold on to that feeling of hope and keep it with me, but it was beyond my human grasp.

Later in the day, I read the transfiguration story in the gospels (Mathew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-10) and it gave me a new perspective about hope. The story describes the close encounter that the disciples had with God, so close, so intimate, so bright, and awe-inspiring that they wanted to hold on to that feeling by building a tent to stay there with Jesus. They wanted to stay in that very moment. But they didn’t build a tent, and Jesus did not discourage them from building the tent, it just did not happen. 

Perhaps this moment when the disciples wanted to build a tent to hold on to that transcendental moment of the transfiguration is like my deep desire to hold on to that feeling of profound hope that I experienced after praying for my son’s treatment to start. I did not want to let it go because it was so bright, so peaceful, so perfect. It erased all my worries and pain. 

Prayer strengthens propelling hope

But something I have learned about hope, it is built and strengthened in prayer. Hope is praying for something that is not there, like praying for an opening for my son to start treatment.  When that something is there, it is no longer hope; it is fulfillment. In my case, the fulfillment was the promise that God is there for us, for my son, for myself.

While I cannot physically hold on to hope, it does not vanish. Hope builds and strengthens Faith. In Isaiah 55:1 the Lord invites us to come again and again to Him and the Scriptures to hear what He has to say.

Come, all you who are thirsty,
    come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without cost. Isaiah 55:1

 We come again and again in prayer, with Hope and Faith to refresh and satiate our thirst. We come daily to experience Hope with its fragrant, soft, gentle, and exuberant feeling like manna in the desert. Hope enables us to continue our human journey towards spiritual growth.

How have you experienced Hope? Share in the comments below.

Further Encouragement: Lamentations 3:25-26

Bio: Miriam is a mom and teacher. She loves reading, cooking, and spending time with her family.