Remaining Hopeful

Nowadays there is a lot of talk about plans for this new year.  Some people are in gear and ready to get what they aspire to achieve as early as possible while they have the momentum.  Others are a bit more skeptical as they are still rebounding from the disappointments of last year due to the myriad of losses.  Yet there are those who are straddling the fence trying to decide should I or should I not put out any effort as things seems never to work out as anticipated.

What does a person do when remaining hopeful is no longer an anchor in the midst of daily living.  Sometimes we can automatically dismiss this notion as foolishness or madness to assume that one would dare to think that way.  Yet, many people are silently hiding the fact that they have lost hope and are limp in their spirit.  The life, zeal, and strength have been zapped out of them. However, it is that secret that is hidden and cleverly concealed under the pretense of a smile and cliches to mask the truth.  

Do you really know how that person is feeling, and are they really doing good as they've said?  The truth of the matter is that sometimes even believers hide the truth from ourselves and others because we don't want to appear to be less spiritual and faithless.  When in fact life just has a way of hitting us so hard that our minds struggle to comprehend and analyze the whats and whys of life's events. There are many forums speaking about mental health and ways to address it, which is needed.  However, I would like to suggest that there is a percentage of people not fitting that category but who are however temporarily trying to adjust to the new changes in their life.  

Divorce, separations, unemployment, sickness, debt, legal issues are just a few of the many vicissitudes of life. The thought of "I can’t do this", is their reality.  Should we judge persons for thinking this way? Absolutely not.  This is where our love walk comes in to be the support and friend to help those who are going through the rough path of life.  The path though temporary has no definitive end date.  No one knows whether normalcy will begin again. For some people, this is hard to digest as they stay in a waiting mood without ever making an effort to create changes. 

The Gospel of St. John 5:1-15 tells of the event of Jesus healing the man at the pool.  The invalid man for thirty-eight years had been waiting for the supposedly supernatural stirring of the pool and for someone to assist him in getting in to get his healing.  Although his condition was visible his words however fully expressed the dissatisfaction and anguish he felt.  He was hopeless.  Today many people are like this man, some with hidden deficiencies waiting for changes and feelings of hopelessness.  

As members of the body of Christ we are not exempted from experiencing unpleasant circumstances.  Some people fare better than others which I believe is only by the grace of Almighty God.  Having gone through similar ourselves, we are better equipped with the help of the Holy Spirit to encourage and help others also.  Remember that a smiling face can be misrepresented as everything is going good, when in fact they are not.  We must all be honest with ourselves and with those we trust in getting help.  I believe that our Lord Jesus is meeting people right where they are today but we have to recognize Him and his ability to help us out of any situation we might be facing.  Also, while experiencing feelings of hopelessness, with love and support one can regain hope and healing.