There is always hope
- Kyle Snyder: Live on Purpose
- June 18, 2018
- 1257
“Hope is being able to see that there is light, despite all of the darkness.” — Desmond Tutu.
What is hope and why does it seem so elusive sometimes? We can keep trying to reach for it, but sometimes it seems so out of arms’ length. We try so desperately to get a hold of it, even touch it with our fingertips, but to no avail.
Other times we can have all the hope in the world. In fact we can’t wait to get up tomorrow and see what it brings our way. Life is not only good, but it also is great. Everything seems to be going our way: We are in the right, we have the right job, people around us are happy, we are like Curly in the play “Oklahoma” and everything is going our way.
Life can be a mixed bag of feelings of both hope and hopelessness. We are human. We will not always be happy, joyful and have hope all of the time. To think otherwise is very unrealistic.
It would be nice to think we will always have hope and joy all of our life, but that is not how life works. Even those people who seem to be up and have all kinds of hope, get down sometimes. No one can be on all of the time. Zig Ziglar once said, “If you’re on all the time, then you are on something that will kill you.”
People who have hopelessness can be tempted to believe they are all alone, that nobody is there for them. The sky is falling on them, and there is nothing they can do about it. Life is one hopeless situation after another. Life has become more about surviving and not about enjoying one’s life.
We all have worries and fear, but for some people it becomes a fire that engulfs them. Their worries have become their entire life. They might be happy for a moment, but fear has a death grip on their heart.
I am a natural worrier; I have been all of my life. I kept asking how this and that was going to work out. Even from the time I was small, I worried about what kind of life I would live, what kind of job I would have, would I have friends, would I ever get married and the list goes on and on.
Yes, I had fun, but it was like a dark cloud following me wherever I went, just hanging in the background. This continued into early adulthood. I felt hopeless. I didn’t know what to do. I could never admit that I had a problem with depression. What would people think of me?
So I isolated myself from the outside world. I would tell myself that nobody understood my situation. I am in this all alone. Over time I realized I needed to start connecting with people, so I started to go out to a cafe in order to get around people my own age. To make a long story short, I began to talk to people and open up to them.
Don’t get me wrong. It still took a long time for me to get better, but by me talking to people and getting it out in the open, the depression weakened. Now when I get depressed, it doesn’t last long.
The truth about hopelessness is, it hates the light. If people don’t talk about it, the feeling of hopelessness will win out. If people talk about it with a friend, counselor, doctor or a pastor, the more we will rob it of its power.
Please don’t misunderstand me. Some people have an imbalance that can’t go away by talking it out, and if there is more to a person’s depression and feeling of hopelessness, they should seek medical care.
Be aware of what goes into your mind. I truly believe if we put good God-honoring things in, we are going to have good God-honoring thoughts. I try to pray before my feet hit the ground every morning, watch something that will encourage me.
I try to watch and read more life-giving material than I do anything else. Why? It is so simple: Where my mind goes, my life goes. However, the most important thing I do when I get up every morning is ask God what he wants me to do that day.
We as loved ones or friends of people who feel hopeless have a part to play as well. We need to check up on people, let them know we are there for them and are praying for them. Give them an ear, letting them talk it out. If the time calls for it, talk. However, we need to assume the role of listeners.
One thing that really helped me out was when people told me stories about people in similar situations like mine. Share stories with them of people who overcame similar situations like they are facing.