When Hope Seems Distant

Whenever grief enters our lives, it is often described as feeling like a hole has been placed right in the center of our hearts and nothing in the world can ever fill that void. That’s grief at its worst, and for a long time it hurts like nothing we’ve ever felt before. Loss touches every area of our living, and we feel drained, and devoid of all hope.

Well meaning people urge us to move on in life and our grief will diminish. While this is true to a degree, the one thing we need the most is hope. We need some kind of assurance that tomorrow will be a better day than today. We want to know that we will not always feel so alone and sad. We need something to assure us that joy will come in the morning.

God, in His infinite love and care for us, knew that we would need to know with absolute assurance that hope is still alive within our grieving hearts, so He gave us daily reminders to serve as hope boosters. All we have to do is look to the heavens, and we can see the mighty works of God. We see the sun, the stars, the moon, the clouds, and the vast expanse of the sky. All of those are reminders of what a mighty God we have as our Father.

God did not design a world of chaos and despair, but rather a world of beauty and miracles. When we look at the intricate makings of a flower, our hearts fill with hope because we know that if God cares that much for a flower, He truly cares for each one of us! We are never alone. Hope lives within our hearts forever! – Clara Hinton

“Every new day is a gift of hope sent from God.” --C. Hinton

“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” --Psalm 19:1

Tidal Waves of Grief

Grief seems to hit us like a tidal wave at times when we least expect it. We can be plodding along in life "okay" when all of a sudden we get smacked hard with the reality of our loss, and we're left feeling like we're drowning in a sea of sorrow with no life jacket in sight.

Being aware of how grief works is a critical part of our grief journey. Knowing that we can get these "grief attacks" unexpectedly can actually help us to prepare for them. When your tidal wave of grief hits, take some long, deep breaths, and prepare to wait it out. Don't fight it or try to swim against the tide. You will only exhaust yourself both physically and emotionally. Feel the pain with the knowledge that following this storm, the seas will once again return to calm, and

you will have better days ahead.

The pain will begin to subside as you begin to acknowledge the fact that grief attacks are only momentary in nature. The raw part of grief work has already been done, adn you will be able to manage your grief by thinking more calm thoughts, journaling your emotions, taking a walk among nature, and calling on a friend or two for some encouragement.

Did you get hit by a tidal wave today? Take courage in knowing that you're going to make it. Others have walked this path before you and they've made it and you will, too! Your hope is bigger than your fear. Your courage is stronger than your pain. And, your hope is always alive and at work!

A thought: "I will face my pain with courage. I will make it!" -Clara Hinton

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory." --Psalm 84:11

NOTE: It is always my prayer that you've received some much-needed hope and encouragement by visiting this place of hope!

Love,

Clara Hinton

When It's Difficult to Say Thank You

When you woke up this morning, what did you feel? Anger? Pain? Resentment? Bitterness? Emptiness? Fear? All of these emotions and feelings are directly linked to grief and will alter your day considerably. We will no longer be able to see the sunshine when our day begins under the constant hovering of the storm clouds.

Grief is real. It is painful. And, it hurts. But, the good news is that HOPE is also real, and hope is far more powerful than our grief. Hope helps us to feel joy.
Hope brings meaning back to life. And, hope begins the wonderful process of healing.

Try this for the next 30 days and see what happens. Guaranteed if you begin each day by saying “thank you” for something – no matter how small – you will begin to see hope emerge and blossom in your life.

Thank you for my daily food. Thank you for the sunshine. Thank you for a car that works. Thank you for eyes that see. Thank you for feet that help me stand. Thank you for the grass that grows, flowers that bloom, and the stars that light up the evening sky. Eventually, you will
be able to say the most precious words of all, “Thank you for giving me hope.” --Clara Hinton

“When you get to what seems like a hopeless place in your life, hold on a minute longer. It is right at that point that the tide is beginning to turn.” --Clara Hinton

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear.” --Psalm 46:1-2a

Robert Frost Said It Best

Robert Frost said it best when he penned, “The sun was warm but the wind was chill. You know how it is with an April day when the sun is out and the wind is still. You’re one month on in the middle of May. But, if you so much as dare to speak, a cloud comes over the sunlit arch, a wind comes off a frozen peak, and you’re two months back in the middle of March.”

So it is with grieving. One moment we are feeling good, being warmed by the sunshine of life. We are active and happy and humming a happy melody that’s coming from our heart. Then, without warning, the storm clouds roll in and suddenly we find ourselves in the middle of bad weather. We are seeking shelter from the storm, and we feel cold, afraid, and so alone.

These sudden steps back into grief will not always be so intense, and the spells of grief will grow farther and farther apart. We won’t linger as long on our grief, and we’ll feel more in control of what is happening.

We will probably never be totally free of the bad weather storm clouds of grief, but neither would we want to be because those periods of longing are really those times that keep us connected with the one we love.

As for those times when we leap into happy moments? I remember the joy I felt watching the vibrant colors of the rainbow following my storm! --Clara Hinton

“Hope is what we count on when the storm clouds hover nearby. Hope gives us the strength to hold on! –C. Hinton

“And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in Thee.” – Psalm 39:7

Hope is Much Greater Than Worry