Dare to Hope – Thyme4Faith

How can a heart be filled with hope when facing the trials of life? Explore this Thyme4Faith post to find out, then Share it with others.

Dare to Hope

I’ve been having this surreal experience recently. My personal situation has become increasingly more difficult, in fact heart wrenching at times. Yet the opposite of what should be happening, is happening. My hope is actually increasing. How is this possible? Part of me feels guilty for having this level of hope. That’s when God stepped in to set the record straight.

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  – Romans 5:3-5 

My Eyes are Opened

Suddenly, my eyes were opened. This is no random hope growing in my heart. My hope is born of suffering and perseverance. But how does one actually get from perseverance to character and hope? While I meditated on this, I realized that my trials and suffering have lead me deeper into dependence and trust in God. It also has given me a boldness in sharing my God-centric view of the world. Or as God might see it, a growth in character.

Then an interesting thing occured. I started to view God through expectant eyes. This caused me to reflect on what’s happened within the last 6 weeks. A buyer for our cabin and our truck materialized. The day after selling the cabin, we found the perfect 1 level home that fit our budget. All the details for getting our house ready for sale fell into place. We managed to find a short term rental (which is not easy) while our home is being built. But wait, that’s not all! Let’s throw in the announcement of the first drug to treat ALS in 22 years which provides any meaningful results. If that’s not a foundation for hope, I’m not sure what is. God is good!

Dare to trust God and see what He does. Dare to Hope.