Hope, etc...

"Is there any hope?" Is one of the most often thought about phrase in my life and I'm sure in many other people's lives as well.

I realise that it's a tough, tough world we live in. At times in our lives we must face despair, whether it be the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, the breakup of marriage or relationship, illnesses or financial burdens.
There are also times in a person's life when he/she wakes up and realises that he/she is not the success they always planned to be.

Problems seem to pile upon problems, worries upon worries, and fear begins to dominate our lives. Tears flow more frequently. Sleep comes less easily. And we may begin to wonder why God doesn't seem to care, if God is really listening, or if God is even there at all.

I know these feelings cos I've faced these too. I've known great days when I could hardly wait to get up so that I could enjoy the challenge & opportunities of making things happen. On the other hand, I've experienced desperate times as well. I've known days when sleep would not come, days when I had to fight to hold back the tears. There have been times when I wasn't certain that I was loved or cared for and times when I questioned if God was near or if God was even real. Those are the tough times in life, the testing times in life.

Through all those times, I've learned that everyone must face his or her own Gethsemane. Everyone must come to a point of testing - a time that can make a person either bitter or better. When some people reach this point they simply accept defeat and give up; others refuse to allow the tough times to defeat them and persevere to overcome their difficulties.
How can you get up when you've knocked down? What can you do when all hope seems lost? Why do some seem to grow through the tough times, learn from them, and overcome overwhelming odds to step back on the path of success, happiness and hope?

Whether you emerge from trouble a better person or a bitter person depends not on what happens to you, but rather how you react to what happens to you.

I believe that failure is never final. We should draw strength and comfort from the knowledge of a living and loving God. A God that is a source of unconditional love, uncompromising acceptance, and unlimited power - power that can lift us out of the valley, bring us through the tough times and set us on a path of hope.