A PLACE CALLED HOPE PART 4

EVERY MINUTE OF HOPE IS A GIFT

There are so many situations in life when our sense of Hope wanes. Financial problems. Job loss. Poverty. Broken relationships. Depression. Addictions, to name but a few – one often leading to the other.

Imagine not having money to buy food for your family. Imagine not having money to pay your bills or put petrol in your car. One by one, you sell anything of value you own. You see the despair in your partner’s eyes, and the family you love so dearly becomes fragmented. There is nowhere to turn to. Not every country in the world has Social Benefits like Europe, and it’s so easy to judge when someone reaches out a hand for help, begs for help.

Overcome by helplessness people often take the wrong road. Blinded by tears they don’t see where they’re going. They struggle and yet somehow, often unwittingly, hope and faith pushes them onward and eventually upward. One moment in time can bring one from desperation to jubilation.

On the road to A Place Called Hope you will meet many people. They all have a story to tell, some more heart rending than others. You can now look back and see who you were before you took this journey. Remember, do not hesitate to hold out your hand and help those who are struggling.

ONE DAY

You gaze into your child’s eyes wondering if he can see the love on your face. You talk. You beg. You demand promises. You pray. When he’s away from home, you talk to him softly, sending messages of love and hope out into the universe, wondering if he hears them. You pray with fervour. What can bring him back to you, to the family who love him? What is God’s plan for him?

Every time the phone rings, you hope it is him. You hope he is safe. You sense when he is in need of help. You cry when he cries. You want to heal his broken spirit, his broken mind.

Every day you wake up with Hope, strong in the belief that this is the day he will come home, tell you he has returned to the family who love him – whole in body and mind. Everyday you wake up with that Hope burning in your heart, each minute focused on the child you love.

One day, he makes the decision to return, to allow his life to be healed. It is a challenge he is now ready for. You allow him to let go of your hand knowing that this is something he has to do for himself. You allow him to continue the journey on his own to A Place Called Hope, knowing that you will meet him there.

FIND YOUR WAY BACK TO HOPE

Sometimes in life you have to travel some of the way on your own, dipping your hands into healing waters when the need arises, thus building your inner strength for whatever road you have to travel.

Plugging into the Universal Power, and making God your daily companion will keep hope alive in your heart. It may be a daily struggle, but you know you can do it. You’ve done it, but never let go of the rope that will pull you to shore.

LET GO

You gaze into your loved one’s eyes wondering if she can see the love in your heart, feel it in the touch of your hand. You’re grateful for yet another day that she can be with you. You yearn to hear her speak and sense she hears your voice. Her eyes are fixed on your face and although her hand lies limply in yours, you’re sure that every small twitch she makes is a message.

You gaze into her eyes knowing there may be no tomorrow for her. She is weakening daily, and although you hope for her full recovery, you also know you should not hold her back – if it’s her time to go.

THE GIFT OF HOPE

Someone else sees the world through her eyes. Her heart pumps blood around someone else’s body. Her limbs have changed the lives of so many. Organs that once gave her life have given a new life to many others, and brought hope back into their lives and into their families lives.

The student studies with fervour, graduates and continues to study.

The man smiles as he plays with his young children, glorying in his ability to do so. The athlete wins the race.

The artist paints with passion.

So many lives are renewed – filled with hope and expectation.

Yes, you may weep for the person you lost, but remember her gift to the world. You may weep everyday and miss her, but be kind to yourself. Your gift to her was the gift of life. She returned that same gift to many more.

No matter how short her life was she lived every day with exuberance, joy and hope. When she burst into a room laughter preceded her. When she spoke to people she motivated them with her passion for life. She offered the hand of friendship willingly and was generous

and kind. She was the sunray that warmed your heart. The moonbeam that showed you the way. The love of your life. Soon your grief will soften and you will smile again. Hope will blossom, because that is the gift she has left for you.

IT’S ONLY THE BEGINNING

Hope is a two edged sword. On dark days when the world you live in makes no sense, and you feel as though you’re tumbling from one crisis to another, the flame of hope is in the shadows. The signpost to The Place Called Hope, is hidden by the darkness of your thoughts, but it’s still there waiting for the day when you can see it again.

That day has arrived. Do not sit back on your laurels thinking all is well now, that your journey is done. It’s only the beginning.

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” Desmond Tutu

Read my blog post – A PLACE CALLED HOPE PART 3