Steadfast Hope

"'I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.'" ~John 16:33

One thing we all need in order to survive and endure trials is hope. Desperate times can make people do crazy things or just drive them into a deep, endless depression. Only through hope in Christ can people spot the light at the end of the tunnel and keep persevering day after day.

Today in the trailer park we opted to utilize our time by going to various individuals who had given their lives to Christ back in November to see how they were coping. Many of the people were in need of encouragement and a reminder of the power of the Holy Spirit within them. There was one couple that my heart just broke for because of the situation they are stuck in. Mold has overtaken much of their trailer, the furnace doesn't work, their pipes burst in the cold snap so they have no hot water, and there are cracks in the roof which allows rain into their home during every storm. The living conditions have really impacted their health, with the one guy battling laryngitis every morning, along with constant wheezing due to the mold irritating his asthma. What amazed me, though, was the fact that neither one of them were angry. Their response was pretty much, "It is what it is." They admitted to being frustrated and Jim tried to remind them that their hope was in Christ and that He would provide a way to a better situation. The only saving grace is that they have a car, so they aren't completely trapped in their trailer.

Another couple that we visited were struggling with limited mobility and no form of transportation. I honestly think that the woman has only been outside a handful of times in the past four months because she is in a wheelchair. She is hoping that a ramp will soon be installed so she can at least go around the trailer park and enjoy the fresh air, rather than just sitting inside and staring out the window. We asked how her heart was and she admitted that she was dealing with some depression because she couldn't get the thought of a fight she had with her mother before she died out of her head. I liked the spin that Jim put on it, though. He asked how many years they had spent together and she said 64. Jim then said that she should focus on the happiness within those 64 years as opposed to the 5 minute fight she was choosing to dwell on. Honestly, it's all a matter of perspective, and the only reason you fight with someone is because you love them.

It was amazing to see God working today and utilizing us to provide hope in a broken community. God can overcome any hardship and any disaster that befalls our lives if we just open up to Him and communicate through prayers, allowing the Holy Spirit into our hearts. 1 John 5:4 states that, "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith." We must never forget that by our faith in Jesus Christ we have the power to tackle any obstacle along our path through life. Satan can try his best to wear us down and whisper lies to us in our despair, but through the power of our faith in Jesus, anything and everything can be conquered.