Hope

Nothing drags me to the pit of doubt like unexplainable tragedy and loss. I can be walking along full of self-assured faith until I witness a horrific loss that clearly lacks sense. Suddenly I’m falling into a pit of uncertainty and disbelief. Clearly, I lack the faith I thought I had.

Whether believers will admit it or not there are things that happen on this earth that cannot be explained simply by stating “it’s God’s will”. Justifying hurt by the will of God does not help; rather, it sounds like blame. Hurt can’t be explained, at least, not in a way where those hurting will comprehend or be able to justify.

I believe it is of better consoling effort to just say, "I don’t know. I have no idea why your loved one is gone to heaven. It makes no sense, and I’m angry about it, too."

In my pit of ache within the murky waters of uncertainty, the only remaining thread to cling to is hope.

If we give up hope then our loved ones move on for no reason at all. Without hope we no longer honor their memory or their purpose. Even in our distrusting rebellion against goodbye hope can heal our broken hearts.

Hope is what gives us renewed purpose.
Hope is what we cling to drag us out of the pit of disbelief.
We hope there are reasons beyond our comprehension.
We hope that we’ll meet again.
We hope that this is not where we were meant to exist in the first place.
We hope that the rest of our lives will not be lived in vain.

Hope itself cannot be explained. Hope does not exist within negativity or even realism. Hope only exists within a man who is willing to trust in the unseen or unknown. Hope helps us look to what could be and what will be. Hope honors. Hope is our explanation. Finally, hope pulls us through to trust again.

We trust in the promise that there is a God, a waiting Father with open arms, and a home to run toward to meet Him there. We trust that all will be as promised. We trust there is another home for our loved ones, a home without loss, without pain, without goodbyes.

"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." ~Romans 15:13