A note from Kelly King: In today’s article, Kasey Ewing shares her thoughts on hope. While it is different than most of our posts, I can’t help by wonder if some of you can relate to her words today. Remember, there is always hope.
Romans 5:4 says, “Endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.”
Most often for me, deep grief preludes intense hope for the future.
Yet, lately, many days lead to dark nights of longings that stop in silent night despair.
Grief, longing, and heartache lie right at the front door.
I just can’t step over them—the boxes of history too large.
His hope looms just past the baggage.
I long for it, but the climb feels too weighty and my legs too heavy to ascend over the packages I am storing.
So I sit.
Looking out to hope
But questioning if it is still for me.
He promises His hope isn’t too far out of reach.
Yet reaching for it, hope emerges short of attaining, the luggage of regret increases, and so I sit gazing and longing for hope, yet seeing all the paraphernalia of my personhood—I retreat.
I retreat. Hope advances.
I hide. Hope uncovers.
I shy away. Hope aggressively pursues.
So I wait.
Engaging the promises of hope to come.
So I trust.
Employing Savior of my soul to save.
Kasey Ewing is a writer, speaker, and serves alongside her dad at Lowery Institute for Living where they both speak to churches and businesses. She is the author of God Enough, which details the journey of grief and recovery from the death of her son. She is married to Brad and has three boys—Drew, Jake (in heaven), and Jackson.
