Nature Speaks Volumes to us about Faith and Hope!

There are times in our lives when our faith seems to fly right out the window. Life can hand us some brutal circumstances and we’re left feeling like we’re drifting out to sea without a life jacket or a captain to steer the boat. It’s a terrible feeling of being lost and shipwrecked.

If you’re facing some of the harshness of the day such as job loss, financial insecurities, broken relationships, or the loss of a loved one, that’s the time when you most need your faith and hope. But, how does that happen when all looks dark?

During my own desert times of faith I’ve done two things that have helped me, and I’ll share them with you. I’ve saturated myself in the Psalms. There are cries of hopelessness followed by the assurance that God is alive and real. And, that’s just what we need whenever the unrelenting seas of grief and pain are battering us.

I also walk among nature. Just seeing the many wonders of nature is calming to my soul. Nature is God’s display of His wondrous love and care and power. Nature speaks volumes to us about hope. The seasons come and go, and we know that there is always a spring that follows the depths of winter.

Hope is alive, and hope is the key to restoring our faith. Faith and hope are the keys to survival! When obstacles and trials seem like prison walls, we can break free by clinging onto our hope in the power of the Almighty! --Clara Hinton

“When there seems to be no chance of being set free from my grief, hope bathes my soul with new strength and I am set free!” --Clara Hinton

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” -Isaiah 41:10

When the World has Broken You Down -- Trust!

Do you feel like your life is falling apart? Broken relationships? Illness? Bills stacked higher than the sky? Out of work? Nobody to talk with who really cares? Mourning the death of a loved one? If any of this is your life, then join the ranks of millions who are walking the lonely path of grief and are looking for help.

Grief is so difficult to explain and even more difficult to get rid of once it invades the inner being of your heart. The pain takes residence there and seems to take root and spread faster than a wildfire. Except. Except when you place your hope and trust in a loving God who cares.

At first that might seem trite and so commonplace that it doesn’t even
register. “Place your hope and trust in God.” We’ve heard that hundreds of times. We’ve read it even more. Yet, when it comes to practicing that one principle, we fall so short because we give up too soon.

Trust? How do we do that? We trust by letting go of our fears and allowing somebody who is bigger, stronger, and mightier that we are to take us and hold us in the protection of His mighty arms.

Does that mean that the storms that are raging within our lives will come to an immediate halt? Most likely, the answer to that question is “no”. The storms will continue to touch our lives. The winds will be so strong they will threaten to knock us down at times. The pouring rain of tears will often drench our pillow, yet we will hold fast. We will be anchored to the Rock that is strong and secure. We will weather the storm and remain safe until the sun comes out once again. When we trust, our fear leaves and we are filled with hope.

Let go of your fear today. Trust in Him for today. Be filled with hope today. And, feel yourself grow stronger today! --Clara Hinton

“When the world has broken you down, He will lift you up!” --Clara Hinton

“In my trouble I cried to the Lord and He answered me.” -- Psalm 120:1

You Can Make it Through Today!

When we’re going through pains, trials, and loss, it seems like there is no end in sight. The bills continue to pile up. The work seems to fall more and more behind. The clutter builds until soon we can’t even find a chair to sit in. And more than anything, that overwhelming feeling of loneliness seems to be worse than ever!

Does it ever end? Does the sadness ever go away when we’ve lost someone? Do we ever find a place in our hearts for joy again? Can we ever feel whole when we’ve been torn apart by disaster and pain? Grief pushes us onto a new road that we’ve never traveled before and the path seems all uphill, rocky, and impossible to climb!

Hold on! Stop right where you are and take a few minutes to reflect, to catch your breath, and to understand that today is one day, and you can make it through! You can take things hour by hour, until you can say with positive affirmation, “I’ve made it!” That’s all we’re ever expected to do. We need only to make it through today.

Expect the sunrise to come with brilliance and strength and new hope. Today is almost gone, yesterday is over, and tomorrow is a brand new beginning with opportunities for new hope and new miracles.

Don’t confuse mourning your loss with forgetting how to live. It’s a difficult climb to reach that point of getting there, but when you do you will know it. The flowers will gain back their brilliant colors. The sky will once again look bright blue. The warmth of the sunshine will touch your soul. And, you will no longer feel alone.

If you are struggling with loss and pain today, take some time right now to pause and rest your soul. Remember that tomorrow is a brand new day with new strength and new hope! You can do it! – Clara Hinton

“I can live today, and I can place hope in a brighter tomorrow!” --Clara Hinton

“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” --Isaiah 40:31