Hope, We Can't Live, Or Die, Without It

As I listened to the pastor speak about Hope last night at our Single's group, I couldn't help but reflect on how I learned about Hope.  My journey with Tami through illness, disappointment, suffering and ultimately death taught me my biggest lesson about hope.  I have never met anyone in my entire life who had as much hope, even in the worst of circumstances, as Tami did.  Her cancer battle verse became, "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power at work within us... (Eph 3:20-21)". She hoped for healing...we all did, but instead God gave peace and strength for the journey.  She hoped for no pain, and in the end, she had none.  She hoped for the money to receive the alternative treatment she wanted, and the $10,000 needed showed up in our fundraising efforts.  She hoped to spend eternity with the One who loved her, sustained her, carried her, and on November 19, 2010 that hope was fulfilled.  She fully understood and believed that He was able to do immeasurably more than all she could ask or imagine, and being her caregiver and best friend, it was hard not to have that outlook on life rub off on me.  I am so thankful God gave me the opportunity to walk that journey and learn those lessons.  

Romans 15:13 says, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit".  I know without a doubt that it was God who filled her with His hope, His joy, His peace because she trusted in His promises.  She knew that He would not disappoint her.  The hope that she held onto was an eternal hope, which gave her strength for the day and comfort in knowing in the end she would be with her Father in heaven and suffer no more.

Romans 5:3-5 says, "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us".  Having watched Tami suffer in ways that we wouldn't wish upon even our worst enemy, I witnessed first hand how these words came to life.  Her suffering led to perseverance, and her perseverance to character, and her character to hope.  She never lost sight of hope in life, or in death.  I cannot imagine battling cancer, or any other terminal disease hopeless.  Because Tami chose hope, those of us around her, her support circle, her caregivers, her family and friends, chose hope with her.  I believe that without hope, the circumstances, disappointments, and challenges in our life, swallow us up.  It is all we see.  If we would just look beyond those things, like Tami did, and grab hold of hope....oh, how life would be different. 

If you are a caregiver, a fighter, a survivor, a family member, friend of someone who is battling cancer, or similar disease, no matter what the prognosis is, the best gift you can give them is HOPE.  The best thing you can do is keep that hope alive each day.  And for those of you who are not battling a terminal disease, but life has dealt you some pretty hard blows, trade the disappointment, anger, resentment, etc. for hope.