To the Woman Who Has Lost Hope

Have you ever felt like you’ve lost hope?

A few months ago, I sat speechless in a school auditorium listening to my daughter tell her story. Hers was one of a handful of stories selected from all elementary school submissions.

It had all the elements of a good story: colorful characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution.

She stood tall and confident, barely seen above the podium. And there she recounted the fears she faced during those fragile moments.

She had the ears of politicians and school board officials alike. They listened with rapt attention and burst out in applause at the end.

It should have been a proud moment.

And in many ways it was. But more than anything else, it simply felt surreal.

You see the story my daughter read was a recollection of our family’s 2017 storm experience.

And not just any storm.

This was the storm of all storms.

“Irmageddon” is what it’s been not so affectionately called.

In the summer of 2017, my little island paradise suffered at the hands of not just one, but two Category 5 hurricanes. If you’re not familiar with hurricanes, Category 5 is highest rating on the scale.

Hurricane Irma made landfall on September 6th and completely and utterly devastated my country. Not to be outdone, her sister Maria decided to get in on the action two weeks later.

Oh, and before I forget, their brother Jose, also paid us a visit in between Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria.

Should I also tell you what happened a few weeks earlier?

An unprecedented flood cancelled our Emancipation celebrations for the first time in recent memory! Family members in their 70’s had never heard of such a thing ever happening before.

Yeah, 2017 was a rough year.

To say that I’d just about lost all hope is not an exaggeration.

But, God!

God is, was and always will be my anchor in the storm. He is my sure foundation, my rock and my safe harbor.

He’s proven it during the tumultuous year that was 2017. And He’s proven it time and again throughout my life.

Sure, there were other times I was tempted to lose hope. But God didn’t give up on me.

So, if you feel like all hope is gone, I’d like to encourage you, friend.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:12

I invite you to read more about the hope I found in the midst of the storm. As part of the Stories of Hope Series, Rachel Lee has kindly included my personal reflection of our storm story. It’s a story of a horrific experience seen through the lens of hope.

When you read my story you’ll see why this hope isn’t just for literal storms. I believe this is the kind of hope you can cling to no matter your situation.

Even if you feel like you’ve lost hope, God is willing to redeem your story.

It’s my prayer that, in spite of the pain, the fear, the loss – whatever might be going through – you can, like my daughter, confidently share your story of hope to help others heal.

Read: Finding Hope in the Midst of the Storm.

How about you?

Have there been times in your life when you lost hope? How did this affect your view of God?

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