What helps you hold onto hope?
My dear friend and guest blogger this week, Lisa Jordan, shares some truths she’s learned to help us hold onto hope when life throws us difficult changes. Please welcome Lisa!
As my husband and I traveled over Labor Day weekend, we remarked about the emerging colors on the trees. A week later, more pops of color are visible along the roadways. The changes in the leaves remind me of the changes we endure as we walk through life’s transitions and the need to hold onto hope.
At the end of last year, I took a break from partnering with Jeanne in hosting the #TellHisStory link-up because we learned my mom had been diagnosed with lung cancer.
The news shook our family as we faced what that meant, but we remained hopeful, especially given the oncologist’s prognosis for her. We held onto hope when she faced a biopsy, PET scans, and numerous other tests and learned her lung cancer had metastasized into her bones, escalating it to Stage IV cancer.
As her health declined, we held onto hope, praying for God’s healing hands to touch her. We clung to the oncologist’s 3–5-year prognosis. God answered our prayers, but according to His will and not ours. My mom passed away at the end of January, not even five months after the mass on her lung was found.
4 Truths to Help Hold onto Hope Through Life’s Transitions—God answered our prayers, but according to His will and not ours @lisajordan #holdontohope #tellhisstory Click To TweetFour thoughts to help us hold onto hope
The ensuing months have been a journey we never wanted to walk but as we did, we held onto hope and moved through our grief. In addition to my mom’s cancer and subsequent passing, we also lost an uncle and a brother-in-law, and I experienced a few frustrating health issues. We couldn’t have gotten through these difficult seasons if it weren’t for holding onto hope. I’d like to share some suggestions for those of you who are facing some transitions in your life.
H—HIM
God is our Hope. When we go to Him first, then He can be our comforter and guide through these transitions.
Pray and talk to him about what you’re facing or experiencing. Share your emotions, even the negative ones—God can handle them. Dig into His Word. The Bible is filled with people who have walked through difficult seasons, and God showed up for each one of them. Cling to verses that feed your hope. Blast the praise and worship music and allow Him to minister to you through song.
O—Others
Others receive a blessing by being a blessing to others. Reach out to those in your circles and ask for help. So many are willing to stand in the gaps to keep you from falling through the cracks. My family, friends, and church family prayed for us, made meals, helped with errands, and listened with tissues in hand to dry our tears.
P—Perspective.
How we view our circumstances will determine how we get through them. As we grow older, we will walk through many different seasons in our lives. There will be a balance of joy and sadness or positive and negative circumstances. We can’t control everything that happens around us. However, we can control how we view those circumstances and shape them in our thoughts. Our perspectives will determine the states of our hearts as we move through life’s transitions.
E—Embrace joy.
We can experience grief and sadness and still have joy in our hearts. God is our joy giver. His Word promises comfort to those who are feeling sorrow. Pray and surrender your situation to Him. Ask for His peace and comfort to surround you. Remember—your feelings and emotions are real and need to be validated. No matter what life transition you’re experiencing, allow yourself to feel those different emotions as you process the situation.
4 Truths to Help Hold onto Hope Through Life’s Transitions—We can experience grief and sadness and still have joy in our hearts. God is our joy giver. @lisajordan #holdontohope #tellhisstory Click To Tweet
Conclusion
Life can be quite unpleasant. And some days, that’s a complete understatement. It’s so easy to spiral downward and allow our circumstances to steal our joy. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Instead of asking, “Why, Lord?” ask, “What do you want me to learn through this, Lord?”
God will turn your brokenness into beauty when you allow Him to cover you with His grace and mercy. Even though it’s tough, we need to embrace each season and hold onto Hope, and allow God to use these seasons to align our hearts with His will. Someone said to me, “We grow through what we go through.” When we choose to hold onto hope, trust God, and walk by faith, then we will see how He turns our difficulties into joy.
What about you? How do you hold onto hope in life’s transitions? What truths have you learned in difficult seasons?
Come share your story at the Tell His Story linkup. Connect and be encouraged by like-minded friends! #tellhisstory #linkup Click To TweetMost weeks, I link up with Grace and Truth, Inspire Me Monday, Instaencouragements, and Let’s Have Coffee. Come join and read more encouraging posts!
Each week we gather here as storytellers, word weavers, and encouragers to make His name known. Our story is God’s story and this small corner of the blogging world, where we come together each Tuesday, needs you. This is a place where poetry, snapshots, prayers, and stories find a safe spot to nod in agreement that what we have to say matters. I am glad you are here and would love to have you join the #TellHisStory community. Add your own encouraging post through the link below. Spread some love by visiting your neighbor and leaving your own encouragement. Click here to read more about the #TellHisStory community and find a button to add to your site.
Thanks for this powerful message, Lisa. This is key, “God is our Hope. When we go to Him first, then He can be our comforter and guide through these transitions.” I’m so grateful for true hope in the Hope-giver. I pray to trust Him more and cling to the only sure hope when things seem uncertain, Jesus.
Karen, I’m with you, so thankful God is a Hope-giver. I think I’m going to adopt your prayer about trusting God more and more.
I am thankful for the hope found in God. Have a blessed day! 🙂
I’m so thankful as well, Melissa. May your day be blessed. 🙂
Hope is such a powerful thing, isn’t it? Part of the human experience is grief and loss and in my life journey I have realized that hope really can work wonders. I try to always live in a place of hope, gratitude, and positive perspective. I was especially moved by the part where Lisa’s mother passed 5 months after being given a 3-5 year prognosis. My mother passed from colon cancer in 2006, 5 weeks after her oncologist said she had about 5-10 years. What a beautiful post even in its sadness. Thank you for sharing it.
Shelbee
Shelbee, without Hope, what do we have? I love the order of your outlook–hope, gratitude, and perspective. They build on one another, don’t they?
Lisa, praying the Lord will comfort you and your family as you grieve the loss of your mom, your uncle and your brother-in-law. Each life is precious to us, and we miss their presence.
Thank you. We are thankful she’s no longer suffering, but like you said–we miss her presence. Our time on earth is temporary, then we’ll be together again.
Lisa, I’m so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing what you’ve gleaned. We all need hope.
Thank you, Debbie. Hope has carried us through those very difficult days.
Lisa, I’m sorry for your loss and the difficult times you’ve experienced recently, but I appreciate the wisdom you’ve shared here. As I face a challenging time of transition (nothing like yours, but still difficult) this encourages me. I think having the perspective of looking where God is working for good, even in the midst of the challenges, can help a lot.
Lesley, thank you. Transitions, even good ones, can be tough. They take a lot of hope, faith, and trust that God’s plans are best.
Jeanne, these are such powerful truths. I’m pinning and sharing in the hope that someone who needs it will find his or her way to your post.
Thank you, Donna. We all need to be pointers toward hope, don’t we?
Sorry for your loss, Lisa. May you feel God’s comfort strongly. Trusting I love and am loved by a sovereign God helps me through transitions. Things may not turn out like I expected, but God is a good God. He knows.
Thank you, Lynn. You’re so right–God is a good God, no matter our circumstances.
I’m so sorry for your loss and everything you have gone through. Thank you so much for the beautiful post. It means a lot to me to read this as I’ve been struggling with my own health issues and asking “Why God”. On another note, I linked up a combination craft/lifestyle post so please don’t think it’s just a craft post. If you scroll down you will see a photo and video of my grandson excited to get the Armor of God dress up set and he recites what every piece means in the video.
Thank you, Amy. Remembering we’re not alone during our struggles or life’s transitions help us to stay encouraged and positive about the outcomes.
Oh Lisa, I’m sorry for this great loss. This transition is so very hard with many bends in the road. That He walks with us is our greatest hope. Sending you love this morning, praying for you and yours even as we speak.
Thank you, Linda. I love the phrase you used–“bends in the road.” Perfect description for the challenges we face as we walk through life.
I’m so sorry for your loss, Lisa—losses. It’s hard to lose a parent, especially sooner than expected. And then to have so many things hit at once. Thank you for beautifully pointing to God as our hope, no matter what is going on.
Thank you, Barbara. Having the peace of the Lord and the support of family and friends have helped us immensely through our grief.
Lisa, I am so sorry for your loss. It is at those times that the hope and comfort of God sustains us each day. We become deeply aware of His presence with us, alongside of us, bringing all that we need. May He continue to be with you and your family.
Thank you, Joanne. Being wrapped in His loving arms is the perfect place to find healing and rest, isn’t it?
Out here on the open range,
time is not to blame,
for it seems the more things change
the more they stay the same.
They track cows by GPS
with a fancy bird’s eye view,
but waterholes are still a mess
with sand and dung like glue
that’ll pull a boot clean off,
and you’ll watch it sadly sink
while your mates do laugh and scoff
and then buy you a strong drink
to take away all shoeless care
and then buy you another pair.
Such vivid imagery, Andrew, that reminds us to keep moving forward. Thank you for your talented perspective.