Hope in HIM

Have you ever put your hope in someone or something? Maybe you hoped that your favorite NFL football team would win the game. Or, perhaps you hoped that you would meet someone at a friend’s birthday party. Or, maybe you hoped that you would get the job that you interviewed for. I have hoped for all of the things that are mentioned above and I imagine that one of these examples resonates with you as well.

May of 2019 was a time when I put hope into practice. I had left one school district and was trying to secure a teaching position in another district. I had the summer months to try and find a teaching position within this new district. It was the end of May and I still did not have a position. I had gone on several interviews, but no one had called me back and offered me a teaching position at their school. During this time, my friend, Erica was so supportive and encouraging. She would call and ask how my job search was going and would always offer a word of encouragement before getting off of the telephone. I appreciated her encouragement and support, but I was starting to feel a little discouraged, nervous, and sad. I knew that the bills would have to be paid whether I had a job or not. 

I remember a conversation that I had with my brother, Jason in mid-May. I had gone to Carmel, Indiana to celebrate my mom’s 80th birthday. We actually surprised her, which was something that was really hard to do. My aunt and uncle came from Macon, Georgia to help us celebrate. Instead of jumping out of the closet and yelling HAPPY BIRTHDAY!, we walked out of my brother’s office and said happy birthday. Momma was so surprised. The joy on her face was indescribable. She was smiling ear to ear. It even looked like tears were about to fall from her eyes. We had so much fun watching my mom open her presents, release her 80th birthday balloons into the air, read her beautiful birthday cards, and put on her black and gold 80th birthday crown. The cake and ice cream was simply delicious. The weather was sunny, warm, and beautiful. The weekend could not have been better. I was so grateful to God that He had allowed my momma to see another year; the BIG 80!

It was time for me to leave and my brother was taking me to Indianapolis Airport to catch my flight back to Atlanta, Georgia. I remember being in the kitchen when my brother turned to me and asked me if I had found a job yet. I told him that I didn’t and replied that I have HOPE. After I said that, I asked him if he was ready to go to the airport. He replied that he was. We walked through the house to the garage and got into the car. I was hopeful that I would have a job by the beginning of August; the new school year.

The hope that I had was not like a wish. I was not wishing that I would be hired by the time August came around. One of my former pastors from Minnesota defined hope like this…earnest expectation that God will show up. Hope can also be defined as…to expect with confidence or to desire something with confident expectation of its fulfillment. When I told my brother I had hope, (that I would get a teaching position) I meant that I was confident and expected God to fulfill my request; that He would move and show up at just the right time. My hope was in Jesus Christ. I expected and was confident that God was going to move on my behalf. In Psalms 42:5, we find the following words… Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior, and my God. This is a reminder that our hope is in Christ and what He did on the cross. And because of this act of love, we can be assured that we are in His hands and that everything will work out for our good!

As believers, our hope is in HIM; the One that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. (Ephesians 3:20)