The Art of Living With Hope

"The hope of the afflicted will never perish" Psalm 9:18
So, I just came back from a hemophilia conference in San Francisco. One evening they took us out on a ship and a young man who was wheel-chair-bound caught my attention. He always had his camera in hand, snapping pictures with such fervor and excitement. What made him most excited was capturing the seagulls as they flew by. It brought to mind one of my recent posts. "Oh, that I had wings..." I felt a lump forming in my throat as I observed this vivacious, energetic kid whose legs hung limp. How does one live with such limitations? The more I thought about it, the more I realized the fact of the matter is I have limitations too. They are just different. I may be able to run & climb mountains, but I may not be able to grip the heart of a person with words or wrap my mind around mathematical equations like others may. I'm sure I'm disabled in areas in which this young man is not. Nonetheless, I am much more than my disabilities. The boy in the wheelchair is too. It is a fearful thing to be disabled in an area, but we must remember that we are so much more than our disability. Jesus has a plan for our whole life. I think of all the ways He has used me and my disabilities to nurture compassion within me for others who are challenged in the similar areas. Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my favorite verses, "'For I know the plans I have for you', declared the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a HOPE and a future.'" It makes me redirect my thoughts away from comparing myself with others, but rather encouraging them, accepting that God uses different adversities do direct us to His Word for encouragement and comfort. God's word is an immovable anchor in times of storm. In the midst of these hardships and pains and limitations, we can rely on the Bible for the stability, guidance, and security we need. Whether or not these storms are from God, we can trust that He will always use it for our good. It's amazing how trouble and difficulty wakes us up to our great need for Something much bigger than us. It causes us to evaluate areas of our lives that are not pleasing to Him and surrender something that we are gripping tightly. Difficulties refine our character, make us more Christlike, and realign our lives with God's will.

Oh, I'm so grateful that we have the Word of God as an anchor in times of storm. Seeing things from God’s point of view, how He used adversity in the lives of biblical characters, we can better understand how He may want to use our current difficulties.
But, the truth is, unless we are grounded, it is all too easy to drift in our devotion to the Lord. It's a discipline to anchor myself to His Word, especially when things are going well. In this case we gradually lose are moral compass, our eternal perspective. Are we ready for the storms, the inevitable doubts & fears that come in a sin-drenched world? Will we weather them with confidence, anchored to the solid rock of Jesus Christ?
Here is beautiful hymn that was recently introduced to me that reminds me of who my Hope must ultimately be placed in:
"By Thy life we are protected, By Thy death we're reconciled"
Follow this link to listen to "Hymn of Hope"

www.halleonard.com/viewcloserlook.do?refer=item_detail.jsp%3Fitemid%3D8749033&id=8749033&

Here are the lyrics too:
f.cl.ly/items/0Q14283S29060r23120i/Hymn of Hope HYMNAL.pdf