Shattered Hope

Late evening sunlight filtered through the tree leaves as I walked the wooded path, breathing deeply. Looking down, I saw pieces of a broken bird’s egg, shards of sky blue scattered in the dirt. My heart sank, and for a moment I felt tears surge. This egg was once filled with hopethe promise of a new lifeand here it was, dashed to pieces. Hope shattered. As I continued down the trail, I thought about how often my hopes end up like that poor bird’s eggbroken and unfulfilled. I contemplated several years back when I felt the most hopeless. Upon waking up one morning when I was 30 years old, I could hardly stand, much less walk, due to severe pain in my feet. This began a long struggle of intense pain, visits to top clinics and doctors, the endless search for relief and answers. No answers were ever found. After suffering greatly for a year, I was finally able to walk a mile for the first time due to a lumbar sympathetic nerve block. Here I am, six years later, walking! I still struggle with some pain and discomfort. There is no name for what I have, but I can walk. I am able to stand to make dinner for my family, or take a trip to the store, or walk up a hill. All these things I do not take for granted, for there was a time when I thought I would never be able to do them again. My hope was like that eggbeyond repair. Yet, God reminded me of Psalm 71:14, As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. How can we cling to hope when we feel overwhelmed by our current circumstances, ambushed by physical pain, emotionally crushed? The answer is found in Psalm 42:5, 11to put our hope in God and keep praising Him. Our hope is sure because Jesus has risen from the dead. He endured terrible pain for usbecause He loves us. He grieves our hurts alongside us, and when He returns, He will put an end to our suffering forever. And even now, He is with us, comforting and strengthening us. When we choose to place our hope in God instead of our health, physical comfort level, ease of circumstances, etc., He will fill us with the only thing that can truly satisfy and renew us: Himself. Savannah Coleman Have you gone through or are you currently going through a season where you feel hopeless? If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you have full access to the God of hope and the joy and peace He offers. What do you think it means to overflow with hope (Romans 15:13)? May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you. Psalm 33:22 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Psalm 42; Psalm 71