Endurance by faith in future’s hope

22 years ago to these very days, days I did not know if I would or could endure, I did endure, one day at a time.  Those days, some darker than others, were the spiritual battle for and of my life.  

The enemy of life itself had beset my hope, yet what kept me alive at that time was the community of AA, then within months it was the community of God’s church in Christ, all of it underpinned by my daughters and my parents.  

Still I was beset in daily spiritual battles that the enemy would sometimes threaten to win.  And even when the enemy seemed to win, when defeat was a day’s experience, when I was broken again in teary lament, there always seemed to be the hope of a resurrection — which always did come to pass a day or days later.

I knew endurance by faith in future’s hope would keep me alive, surviving and sometimes thriving.  That faith in future’s hope was always there even if the strength of my hope when under attack made it seem that that hope was temporarily lost.  

The future hope was this: that I would receive the second chance at life God had promised me, that I would recover from the grief of having lost my first marriage, that I would become of good use in the hands of God, and ultimately live with joy, hope, and peace in my heart.  

22 years is a long time.  I can say that I have felt in the place of my realised future hope for nearly four years now.  

The beauty of the future hope that seems lodged deep in one’s heart is that somehow the darkness cannot conquer it; indeed, the darkness only seems only to reinforce it.  

What others may intend for our harm,
God uses for our good, ultimately,
if we don’t give up.  

This is an encouragement for the circumstantially broken to read.  I don’t need to apologise for writing to the person broken by their circumstances.  If only one reads this and derives hope, my aim is accomplished.

The person broken by their circumstances needs hope, because when that person gets through a dark day, knowing with a hint of gratitude they had sufficient strength in their weakness to do so, they know they can do it again when attacked again… and again… and again… for as long as it takes until they arrive at their future hope.  

What got me through was many things, loving community, a purpose to live for, specialist support when required, practicing acceptance of those things I cannot change, all of this underpinned by faith.  

The final thing to say is this: endure by faith in your future hope, for it will arrive at the right time if you do not give up.