The other day I was helping a friend who was moving under extremely difficult circumstances. As she and I lifted a plastic bin onto a shelf, I saw this plaque inside and recognized it as mine.
“Is that yours?” I politely asked.
“No, it’s yours!” she said. “You lent it to me 4 or 5 years ago, remember?” (I didn’t remember.)
She continued, “You gave it to me then, and told me to keep it until it was true for me. So I put it on my dresser, and every morning I looked at it and said, ‘Is that true for me yet?’ And every day I had to say ‘No not yet.’ Until recently. Recently when I looked at it, I said, ‘I think that’s beginning to be true for me.’”
For this friend, this was huge. I often write about hope here on my blog, and on one of my posts several years ago she commented, “I’m wishing I could have found that hope, but am very glad for those that do.” At that time she had felt hopeless. So for her now, even in her very difficult circumstances, to say that hope looked like it was beginning to grow was extremely significant.
She asked me to share something with others:
“I came / am coming to know the true love of Jesus through the people who didn’t walk away when times were tough, when there didn’t seem to be hope, when there was no reward, when I crashed again and again and again and again.
“There are a FEW priceless treasures who God Himself planted in my life to show me a picture of him. The part I hope people understand is that it takes time.”
“Take this back,” she said, “and give it to someone else who needs hope.”
So my plaque has returned, sitting here beside me on my desk, a plaque that—by proclaiming truth— has helped me hold hope in dark times of my own, and then went on to help my friend, who began to learn to hope in God through those who loved her and showed compassion. It’s now ready to be passed on to someone else.
My soul, wait only on God, for my expectation, my anticipation, my hope is from Him.
***
Go here to download your free Guide, How to Enjoy the Bible Again (when you’re ready) After Spiritual Abuse (without feeling guilty or getting triggered out of your mind). You’ll receive access to both print and audio versions of the Guide (audio read by me). I’m praying it will be helpful.
LOVE this!!! I have tears-not a common occurrence. :-/
I sent this post to the woman who originally gave ME the plaque. She said, in part, “I can not thank you enough for sharing this. It will encourage my husband so much! His health has deteriorated so much and for the last few years he has not given the plaques but instead has given other books and primarily new testaments with Psalms and Proverbs (putting in them several inserts) to everyone he meets–health professionals, waitresses, anyone. It will encourage him to know you SHARED it with someone and it actually came back to you! And that it helped to encourage someone to hope. Reminds me of the verse, ‘Cast your bread on the water.’ We still have a box of those plaques but he does not put them together any more because of his blindness. THANK YOU.”
Thank you for sharing this. I’m re-learning to focus on Him as my Hope, while I am also moving under difficult circumstances.. (neighbor harassment, grief that I had to leave a lovely flat that had many blessings).. and no next adress known yet, except that I’m staying at my parents.
Praying to be able to find my footing by His strength again – onto His will.
Blessings your way.
I’m so sorry, NGI, and will be praying for you as you find your footing. Remember that in Psalm 40:2, he helped the psalmist find his footing on solid ground by setting his feet on the rock, and we know our Rock is Jesus Christ. Keep looking to Him and hoping in Him to restore your soul. Prayers and love with you.
From hopeless despair to rebuilding her joy bucket… you truly have been/are being used in the hands of God❤️
Thank you for your kind words, Quietrunner. <3