Hope. Small word. Huge impact. It saves lives. It encourages when we experience the storms of life. It helps us put one foot in front of the other when we find ourselves in the midst of despair. Hope is a promise that brings peace to our weary souls.
Oh, the hope this verse inspires in me. Hope is the second blessing we are exploring that comes from saying “yes” to Jesus. Whether it is the “yes” that gives salvation or every other “yes,” we utter to Him along the road of life, each one gives us hope. Sometimes even a “no” can lead us to an opportunity to say “yes”.
A Resounding NO
One late September day, I found myself in the pit of despair. I was 17, a senior in high school, cheerleader, and clueless in the ways of God. This was my second year on the squad, and it was time to vote to see if we would enter competition that fall. We competed the year before, and it was one of the most grueling, challenging and time-consuming projects we had undertaken. When we finished the state competition, all of the juniors made a pact that we would NOT be doing that next year! It was too hard, and it took the fun out of being a cheerleader. (Sounds like a group of teenage girls, doesn’t it?) However, it was a new year, there were five fresh, new members, and amazingly enough, a couple of the returning seniors had changed their minds. I knew it didn’t look good for the voting outcome I was hoping for.
The papers were passed out, votes written down. My vote? NO. Papers were folded and passed in. Mrs. Byerly, our precious sponsor, opened each one and read them aloud. There were six votes for yes, four for no. We were going to competition.
Emotional Turmoil
This was a huge blow for me. The weight sat heavily in my chest, the tears pricked my eyes and threatened to fall, and I left the room quickly before I lost the battle to keep myself together. Running to my car in the pouring rain, I fumbled with my keys. As soon as I sat behind the wheel, the dam of emotions broke.
I did not want this yes. I did not want to put in all of the hours for practicing this would require. My classes were difficult. Pre-calculus homework, alone, took hours to do. How was I going to keep up with everything? The tears fell hot on my cheeks and blurred my vision along with the rain that was pounding on my windshield as I processed what this would bring.
An Unexpected Peace
I pulled up to a light and stopped as it turned red, the emotions still gripping me tightly. All of a sudden, a voice spoke to my heart. Not audibly, but I heard it in the deepest recesses of my soul, “Settle down. You’re not going.” I froze, and my breath caught. I argued back with the voice that I thought was just in my own head, “What do you mean I’m not going? We voted! We are going!” Again, the calm, soft voice said, “Settle down. You’re not going.”
The next thing I knew, a peace, like a soothing balm settled over me. It began at my head and worked its way down to my toes. The weight of this burden lifted off my shoulders. Sitting back in my seat, I closed my eyes for a brief moment, and let out a slow, steadying breath. I had no idea where it came from or who spoke to me. All I knew was that the peace I felt in that moment was like nothing I had ever experienced before. Not knowing what the words meant, I dried my tears and drove the rest of the way home.
Such a dramatic display of emotion seems a little silly now. I didn’t know at the time, but found out two weeks later, I was pregnant. The hormones coursing through my body most likely explained how hard I took the outcome of the vote.
A Life Defining Question
Now, this scared, broken teenager had a life defining question to answer. Would I say “yes” to this baby growing inside of me? My precious, best friend, Angela did everything in her power to make sure that the answer was “yes”, and I am so thankful for all she did. I knew my options, but only one would truly work for me, as I was already in love with this child and felt fiercely protective over it. Even though saying “yes” to this little life sent me down a new, different, and scary road, I was filled with hope for a future that seemed bleak to everyone around me.
A Life Defining Realization
The amazing part of this story is that it was God who spoke to my heart that day. I did not know Him, yet He knew me. He knew what was coming, and He began to prepare my heart for it. He answered a prayer I hadn’t even prayed and gave me peace in the process. It was the first of many moments He used to woo this heart of mine and show me a love that I had never experienced in my short life.
Great Lengths
God was faithful to pursue me, and He went to great lengths to reach me and knock on the door of my heart and show me glimpses of the love and mercy He has for me. What began as a story about a deeply felt and resounding “NO”, led to a beautiful “yes” that brought me a new hope and purpose for my broken life.
Oh, my friend. Our redeemer, Jesus, is our hope. The hope for eternity. Knowing that this life is not all there is, and that we will see Him face to face one day makes my spirit quicken, and like Job, “my heart yearns within me” (vs 27).
How has He pursued you? Think back to the times you know He whispered to your very soul, or answered a question or a whispered prayer in an unexpected way. Maybe what resulted were more questions or possibly the temptation to explain it away. Just maybe what came about was a beautiful glimpse of hope. Accept it. Rest in it.