Have Faith. Hold Hope.
As a young mother, I was a mess. Tense. Controlling. And fearful. Oh, so fearful.
There was a reason I was so freaked-out. Many years before when I was only 14, I witnessed a murder. And though I thought I had dealt with all the repercussions of that tragic event … it surfaced anew the minute I held my firstborn in my arms. To think that the little someone God gifted me with had no guarantees of not experiencing the horrors of life – the kinds of horrors I witnessed – made me nervous and afraid. I cratered into fear. And became a mess of a mother.
Gratefully, my husband knew just what to do. He prayed. Specifically, habitually. For months and years, he prayed that I would be covered with courage and “laugh without fear of the future.”
He had faith. Faith that God could do what he could not. That God could do what I could not. Faith that God could give me the courage I needed to laugh without fear of the future.
I am grateful for his prayers. He held hope for me … when I had none.
Maybe you need to hold hope for someone you love. A child that is rebellious. A husband that is rejecting God. A friend facing health issues.
Today I want to encourage you.
Be strong. Stand in the gap. Do not lose hope that God will fulfill his promises. And that he will come through for the people you love.
Have faith. Hold hope.