Finding Hope

I have a friend who had a really rough childhood. His dad left when he was a child. His mom drank too much and had a series of boyfriends one of whom was seriously abusive. He said used to hide under his bed and pray – just pray.

What’s amazing to me is that my buddy seems to have come out of this relatively unscathed. Today he has a beautiful healthy family. He even has a relationship with his mother who has turned out to be a good grandmother.

I’m not sure I would have done so well. I’ve known plenty of other people who had it much better, and who still use their childhood as an excuse for destructive living.

What I notice is that when my friend talks about his past, he doesn’t romanticize it. He doesn’t gloss over the difficult parts. But he will say: I am not ungrateful… I am not ungrateful, because the experience I had, the childhood I had, shaped me into the person I am today. It not only made me stronger, it gave me a heart for those who suffer. And it gave me a heart for the underdog. He went on to say, “Early on, a wise counselor gave me this piece of advice, ‘Stop thinking about what’s been done to you, and start focusing on what’s been done for you.’”

Over the years, I also have known plenty of other people who have faced serious setbacks, who have somehow managed to live well in spite of it. They have not let the disease, the diagnosis, the failure, or the betrayal to have the last word… They’ve not allowed it to shatter their hope or eat away at their peace, or silence their courage…

I am often reminded that as human beings, we have this remarkable ability to retell or recast our stories, to somehow find meaning and hope in them, and even redemption. I am also more and more aware that the stories we tell about our past, the stories we tell about what we’re currently dealing with, shape not only how we view the world, but how we live. These stories we tell, open or close doors for the future.

I wonder what you see when looking at the events of your own life… What stories do you tell about yourself… your church… your family?

I pray today that you would take a second look at the story of your life, and see it through the lens of faith. I pray that even in the most difficult moments you would notice the gracious hand of God at work.

Let us pray: Open our eyes, Loving God, to catch even a glimpse of your Spirit moving all throughout the journey that is our life. As we see, help us to trust. In Christ’s name. Amen.