Thursday, December 7th Derek Harrison
Hope
“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”
Psalm 31:24
If you are like me, there are times in our lives when we struggle to understand God’s plan when we are facing a certain circumstance. When we get through that circumstance, we often look back to see what the Lord was teaching or growing within us.
Years ago, my father woke up and went to work just like any regular day. My mother was in Tennessee with my grandfather who had just had knee surgery. I was in a meeting just like any other regular day when my life changed. My father called me three times. When the third call came I excused myself from the meeting and picked up to find out that I needed to meet my father at the hospital. I was the only family member in town, so as a young man, I had to navigate a situation that quickly turned from bad to worse. The hospital we were at came to the conclusion that they couldn’t do anything for my father and that he needed to be flown to another hospital to hopefully figure out what to do with his heart before it was too late. I drove to the hospital to meet him where he was already prepared for surgery. Seeing him rolled out on a hospital bed right after surgery is a sight I will never unsee.
I was lost and thought that I was going to lose my father that night. After a long, slow recovery process, my dad recovered, and I fully believe that God was giving me something to cherish that I never saw throughout the weeks that followed that evening. Over the course of the next year I drove my father to the same hospital which he had been flown to in order for him to get weekly check-ups. God had given me the opportunity to grow closer with my father and gave me two hours in the car each week with him. That year, although it was not always fun, taught me about the hope we can find in any situation. God had given me the ability to put emphasis on what matters in life.
Takeaway – In all circumstances, where can you look at how God might be growing you, teaching you, or giving you something such as time with a family member that you wouldn’t have otherwise?
As you enter this Advent season, be strong and take heart for all that will come along during this season. The Lord will bless you even in times that you can’t see it.
Prayer – Heavenly Father, let us have the hope that’s only found in you to see the ways you are moving throughout this Advent season. Even in times of discomfort, you provide ways for us to see your plan for us. Plans to prosper and not to harm. Thank you for your love for us in all circumstances. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
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