Category Archives: Perseverance

Is there any hope?

Is there any hope?

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On December 17, 1927, USS S-4 (SS-109), an eight year old S-class submarine, was submerged just off the coast of Provincetown, Massachusetts. Right nearby, on the surface, the USCGC Paulding, a Coast Guard destroyer, was headed southeast. At 3:37 in the afternoon, the officer of the deck on the Coast Guard ship didn’t see the periscope of the submarine until it was too late. The Paulding unintentionally rammed the sub with a section of her bow, crushing into the hull of S-4 and punching a hole in the ballast tank and one in the pressure hull. 

Freezing water flooded into the boat and she immediately began to sink. The saltwater flooding the battery compartment mixed with battery acid and formed toxic chlorine gas, quickly filling any space not yet occupied by water. Soon the deadly gas was forced by the water into where the survivors were huddling. By morning, when the first rescue diver knocked on the torpedo loading hatch, he was met with six slow taps in response to his question about how many had survived. Six men were still alive.

But try as they may, help was not coming fast enough. The next to last communication heard from the remaining crew in Morse code was “Is there any hope?” But unfortunately, the toxic gas took the lives of all 40 men.

Hope comes in many different forms and we use the word, as we do the word Love, interchangeably for the big and the small all throughout our lives. We hope we get an A on our test. We hope the cute boy in the third row looks our way. We hope we receive a Christmas bonus. We hope for a boy or a girl…or both! 

We may also hope for enough money to pay the rent, buy milk for the baby that we hoped for and hope that our hope is enough to sustain us until, hopefully, something better comes along. 

We even hope for hope!

But Jesus said we didn’t have to live that way any longer. He came as the Hope of the World! Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” 

In a world full of darkness and seemingly constant despair, Jesus is our hope, our peace, our confidence and no matter what comes into our lives, even the unthinkable, He has promised to NEVER leave us or forsake us! NEVER! 

We like to think we live in a picture perfect world especially after we give our hearts and lives to God. Filled with His spirit, we can conquer anything according to the Word of God. But we are still living in a sin-filled world until Jesus returns for His church and we will face things here just as the disciples did many, many years ago. 

And just as the men on the submarine faced…..they wanted to know if there was hope and yet they perished. Why? Because we aren’t promised a life without trouble or pain but we are promised that Jesus will be WITH us, IN us and right beside us no matter what we go through. And news flash, we don’t live forever down here! Our hope is in eternity and no doubt there were men on that submarine tapping into their Hope, finding that perfect peace in their last moments; Jesus didn’t forsake them, He walked them into eternity!

The HOPE we have today is that He is WITH us, He is IN us, and the more we pray and read and depend on His Word, the more confident we become in that glorious Hope.

Hope has a name and it’s JESUS!

We don’t have to be afraid, we don’t have to live in a constant state of worry and anxiety. We can still live joyfully and accomplish what God has put us here to do: tell others what He has done for us; share the Gospel, the Good News, that Jesus gave HIS life for us that we could live FOREVER with Him someday. And until that day comes, we can live victoriously and full of hope here on this earth, abounding in the work of God, encouraging our neighbor and bringing that Hope, sharing that Hope, with those we come in contact with.

Spend this week studying about hope in the Bible. Look up scriptures pertaining to hope and see how Jesus has always been, and still is, that Hope that saved the world!

Then, remember that there are others watching you and desiring to have what you have, don’t keep Him to yourself, Jesus Christ, the Living Hope!

For the kingdom

When the plan falls apart, then what? Part II

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Make a decision to adapt and climb on board!

In 1786, Scottish poet Robert Burns penned the line, “The best laid plans o’ mice an’ men often go awry.” Apparently, things not turning out exactly as planned is an incredibly old phenomenon. The blog Stranded here at Hope in the Healing, as well as the first part of this one, attests to the fact that plans are not fail-proof. 

While thinking about the many trips I have taken, I could not forget our family vacation to Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone Park. I think it was 1977 and as we were driving away from Mount Rushmore, Dad’s car started overheating. We ended up stranded seventy miles away, in Spearfish, South Dakota. The car’s engine was beyond repair so Dad bought the only used car available there. Money had to be wired from Indiana to South Dakota, and it took a couple of days. While we waited, we indulged in a local favorite, the Polka Dot drive-in restaurant. (Picture bright pink awnings with big white polka dots.) We kids snuck off to enjoy The Apple Dumpling Gang, showing at the theater. Although the plans had most decidedly gone awry, and Dad’s stress must have been intense, we ended up creating some fun memories. Dad drove the Oldsmobile he bought for many years and we still talk about this and have a laugh together.

My thoughts turned to the more philosophical idea of our lives as a journey. Almost every youngster has an answer for the question of what they want to be when they grow up. At age four or so, one of my great-nephews would answer he wanted to be a garbage man. Now that he is a mature seven, he wants to be a marine biologist. Plans change; we adapt. By the time we leave our teenage dreams behind, most of us have at least a vague outline of our life journey. I had what I considered a great plan; I would become a pharmacist. Marriage was only an option if I found my soulmate, no settling for less. I would work hard, put in extra hours, and save, save, save, making sure I owned a home mortgage free, and be able to retire at age 58. Then, I would shift from career to doing things I really wanted to do and then would be free to travel. I would go to Ireland and connect with my heritage; life would be mine to enjoy.

Early on, things began to go awry! I became a pharmacist, and worked hard: driving all over Indiana filling in shifts for other companies after working my own full-time position. I had some nagging health problems that had been in the background since college. The fatigue of working so much seemed to aggravate what was diagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. As these diseases became more problematic, I was determined to push them to the side and win the battle they were waging. I had a nice home with a nice mortgage attached. 

During the fifteen years after college, I did nothing except work. No travel, no spa days, just work! (At age 35, I did find my soulmate which was the bright spot in this period of life.) By age 40, rheumatoid arthritis had destroyed my right knee, requiring it to be replaced. Despite always declaring I was fine, the progression continued. At age 46, I could no longer work, and have since been on Social Security and private long-term disability. I just turned 58. Now is when I planned to travel and enjoy life to the fullest. Those plans have gone awry! Travel is defined as going to the kitchen from the other end of the house.

What do we do when the journey seemingly gets so off course? First, maybe we should consider if it is truly off course, or if our plan was amiss. Maybe we are right where we should be for this season. We also need to decide how we are going to react to this change of course. You could consider if your pain serves a purpose; you may inspire someone you do not even know. Just because there are obstacles along the way, do not give up on your journey! Keep persevering and enjoying the things you can in the ways you can. Attitude dictates a great deal. Just because I cannot hike trails in Arches Park, I can still enjoy the beauty while riding in an RV. 

We enjoyed our RV journey so much, and found we can adapt it to work around the physical barriers. Guess what? We are now in the market for an RV. That sure was not in the plan! None of us knows what is around the next bend in our road. Do not put off until later the things you want to enjoy along your journey. Seize your opportunity!

Joy is a pharmacist in early retirement due to health problems. She is trying to live the best version of life and be willing to adapt to the continuing changes. She and her sweet husband, Doug, have two golden doodle furbabies. Oliver and Kenzi have recently discovered their love of going on RV trips! It’s become a family affair.

Fasting: I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!

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Missed any of our 31 Days of Fasting in January? All of the posts are in one place just for you, see them here! So thankful for everyone that has been here, whether you come every day for encouragement or pop in now and then, you are so welcome to gather with us. Be blessed as you fast unto the Lord.

How many of you have seen the commercial where the older woman is sprawled on the floor, obviously without choice, and calling into a little button,

“Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”

That phrase quickly became a byline for many a situation. Not that it was funny that an elderly person had fallen, it was catchy and memorable and it probably sold product like crazy.

If you have been on the fast for any length of time you may have fallen…off the wagon. There’s another one! Where did that phrase, fallen off the wagon originate? According to WiseGeek.com, when you say someone has fallen off the wagon it means they had vowed to stick with one thing but they failed along the way. It was especially referring to the consumption of alcohol. Dating back to the temperance movement, those that consumed were encouraged to get on the water wagon instead of drinking hard liquor. The water wagon was a horse-drawn cart that watered down the dirt roads to control the dust. Those that were encouraging abstinence said they would rather drink from the water wagon than even think of touching alcohol, so if they slipped up it was said they had fallen off the wagon. Who knew?

Maybe if you have been fasting for a few days or even a couple of weeks, you have possibly had something that you didn’t intend to have, found yourself sitting in front of a dessert or favorite food and took a bite before you even thought about it. Maybe you have been on a water-only fast and became so weak and hungry that you just had to have a little bit of nourishment. Either way, you gave in and then as soon as you did, Guilt showed up.

Guilt is not from God. Let’s get that out of the way. He doesn’t put shame or condemnation on His children, He doesn’t sit in Heaven shaking His head and rolling His eyes every time we fail!

Guilt and Shame come from the enemy. It is his specialty! He loves to make us feel as if we have failed, that we aren’t good enough and we might as well give up. Sometimes the pressure is so bad that we feel as if we have to pay penance for a wrong. We have to fix it, undo it or cover it up somehow by doing a good deed.

Friends, this is not what God intended! “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.…” Romans 8:1,2

There is no condemnation if you are walking with God.

He has set you free from Guilt and Shame!

If we do make a mistake, we ask for forgiveness, He hears, forgives and forgets and we pick right back up where we left off. Naturally, we do not think in advance that if we fail we can just say we are sorry and start over again. We don’t intentionally stumble knowing He is always gracious, which He is, but we try to do what is right, in this case with fasting, we pray and do our best to stay committed. But if we do forget, and absentmindedly eat something we shouldn’t, we don’t beat ourselves up over it. We just keep going!

If the enemy is whispering in your ear that you are a failure and that your fasting is all in vain, he realizes the power in prayer and fasting and would do anything to get you to stop. Don’t succumb to his pressure but pick yourself up, grab your sword (the Word of God), find a scripture or two that you can pray out loud and do just that.

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” Jude 1:20, 21

Have you fallen and feel as if you can’t get up? Jesus is waiting for you to grab His hand; He is your biggest supporter and He will encourage you to keep going because your relationship with Him is worth every sacrifice. Fasting changes the inner man, changes YOU and helps you hear the voice of God. Fasting breaks chains that cannot be broken by prayer alone. Warrior angels fight in the spirit world on your behalf!

Be encouraged in the Lord today, even if you have stumbled on your fast, just dust yourself off and keep going. Victory is ahead!

Don’t forget to grab your copy of The Daniel Fast Devotional! Good for any fast, it is a great, easy read with devotions for every day of a three week fast. Get yours on Amazon here!