Yesterday afternoon, I was driving Abby to an orthodontist appointment. We were talking about a variety of things and I’m not quite sure how we got on it but Abby said, “I love the word hope. I think it’s my favorite word.”.jpg)
PINIMAGE
The two of us just recently returned home from a trip to India. My body is still feeling the effects of jet lag, sometimes waking in the middle of the night and walking around in a bit of a fog during the day.
The attempt to process all we experienced while in India has been an ongoing effort and I trust it will continue in the weeks and months ahead. Our cultures are very different. I know that living in America offers many material blessings not available to those in India. But both cultures face challenges and obstacles to true peace – to Hope.
However, my heart is overflowing this morning with the understanding that my God – the God who knows me and walks with me, the God of Hope – is the same God in India.
But for us, There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live. 1 Corinthians 8:6
Intellectually, I understand this. But one day, while sharing a taxi with an Indian friend, she told me how Christ was calling her out of her daily life to follow Him. She said she had ideas about how she intended to serve the Lord. Earning a doctorate at the university, it was her intention to work for the Lord in her field of expertise and give God half of her income. (Not a tenth, or a small portion. Half.) Sounds noble doesn’t it? What a sacrifice! Yet, she was not at peace in her heart. She struggled against the nagging thought that God was asking something else. Something more.
After a time of wrestling in her heart, a loved one said to her, “God doesn’t want your money. He wants you.” It was that simple. And she knew it. She surrendered to Him that day and He has done a radical work through her and her family through her obedience. She has become a dispenser of hope…the Hope of the Gospel.
As the taxi pulled to the curb at our hotel, I pondered what she shared with me. The landscape in India is quite different from ours. The daily challenges are very different. But I identified with that call, with the wrestling to surrender. I understood what she spoke of – the letting go of “my own understanding” (Prov. 3:5-6) in order to trust His path and plan for my life. Our journeys, with completely different circumstances, on opposite sides of the world, were very much the same. And the calling is the same as well. Be a dispenser of Hope to the hopeless.
Romans 15:13
13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
PINIMAGEI took Abby to India in order for her to see how other cultures live. I took her there in order for her to see how blessed she is and to help to gain a sense of gratitude for all she has. I took her there to see the difference. And I’m returning with the deep sense of how we are all the same. How our need is the very same.
Isaiah 53:6
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.
Do you feel like you’ve been wandering aimlessly like a lost sheep? Do you hunger for hope? Do you know in your heart there is more than the experiences you find yourself in?
Friend, I promise you there is Hope and His name is Jesus. Give your life to Him. Maybe He’s calling to you now to find out how to know Him more. You can find out how at this link below.
How can I have a personal relationship with God?
If you choose to surrender to Christ today, I’d love to hear about it. You can connect with me at tammy@lifehousede.com
Whether you are half way across the world, or right here in Townsend, Delaware, you can find hope in Jesus. I’m praying you will. And you might just find yourself saying, “Hope is my favorite word.”
Arlene Fordham - This was truly a blessing to me. Thank you for sharing. Prov. 3:5&6 have been my life verses for many years. So many times throughout the day I am reminded that trusting is my “hope” in action.