HOPE is cultivated. I used to think hope was immediate. I had to learn that hope is not something we wake up and instantaneously have. The images and the pain of that process 20 years ago are all still present with me. I am filled with a joy for the present and future, and as I reflect, I’m not full of regret but of thankfulness. Though the sting is gone now, the past DID happen - and it is a real part of my life: I sat in the depths of my sorry soul. Everything seemed desolate and without hope. What hope was there for the future of my kids? I looked at my past and the history of my family: cycles of fornication, of pregnancy before marriage, of divorce, of raising children without a father. This was my inheritance -- the road that had been paved before me -- and it seemed the road that I had chosen to take. Not because I chose it. Instead, as if it was chosen for me; I was just blindly following a track that had already been laid. A deep darkness surrounded my bright vision of the future - a HOPE-FILLED future for my children and myself. How could I ‘make’ a different future for my kids than the future I found myself in? Would their marriages (if they chose to be married) be riddled with chaos, with pain? Would their relationships begin in fornication and end in divorce? Facing the Numbers
I wondered if, as my children walked down the aisle, they were on their way to divorce court… Statistically? The answer was YES. During this bleak, black period of time, I became aware of the passion I had for the future of my children and grandchildren. I didn’t want any of my children to suffer the agony of divorce. I didn’t want my grandchildren to grow up with an absent father; I wanted my children to be committed to covenant marriage and find partners who had that same commitment. Instead of anxiety, fear, and depression, somehow, the Lord got me to ‘look to the birds of the air’. He lifted my eyes up to see HIM and believe that He could make something beautiful out of the ashes. But HOW… could I begin a new path? would I have the strength? The wisdom? The perseverance to stay the course? Cultivating a Vision for the Future First, I began to dig … literally, dig. I read in Isaiah 61 that God brings beauty from ashes and I felt like my life, our family, and the lives of my children were nothing but ashes … EVERYTHING had been burnt up. So, I got my spade and I started digging. Every weekend, when my children would go visit their dad, I would spend time in the yard digging, removing the layer of grass and weeds in areas of the yard where I would build flower beds. I wept sorrowful tears, releasing the pain, telling God how unfair it was. I learned to believe that God could make something beautiful out of it all Hard shovelful by hard, weed-ridden shovelful, I dug. I wept. I bled. And each drop was a prayer. I hauled rock. I wanted solid boundary lines around the new flower beds, so I visited construction sites, old, broken-down limestone walls, and other places – all to gather stones for my garden. Oftentimes, the Lord has what we need - we just have to look and be willing to go the extra mile to get it. Partnering with God to bring forth beauty oftentimes requires heavy lifting. I brought in dirt. Again, I searched out the resources to build according to what I envisioned, all the while praying and believing that my labor was not in vain. If we till the soil - in our yards, in our hearts - if we bring in the resources we need to fill in the gaps, beauty will come forth. We are building WITH God. He shows us what we need. Graham Cook says, “God has all we need; we have to STEP into it”. I relied on friends and neighbors as my resource. Community was important in the development of beauty. Others had cultivated the beautiful flowers and ground cover I wanted in my flower beds, so I ASKED them how they did it. As single mothers, we need to have insightful hearts. Asking for help in bringing forth the beauty we desire is necessary. I bought annuals and some mulch. Some flowers, like annuals, are for one season only. I wanted those seasonal flowers to flourish in my flowerbeds – however, I had to be willing to investsomething in the development of beauty. Even with this determination to invest, I found ways to get things at a discount; I discovered that God makes a way. As I partnered with God in preparing the soil, setting up the boundaries, relying on friends and neighbors, and cultivating beauty … it was if I prophesied that BEAUTY will come forth out of this season. I wept, sweat, and bled -- with each, my hope in the Lord grew. As my flowerbeds filled out over the next 3-4 years, so did my hope that God is able. This cultivating ritual became my prayer, my intercession. Through nurturing these flowerbeds, HOPE was born. Hope is necessary if we, as mothers, want to raise sons and daughters who fulfill their destinies. How are you cultivating hope in your home?
17 Comments
Kimberly
3/23/2019 09:57:11 am
Beautiful encouragement. My heart needed this today.
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Diana Sean
12/21/2022 03:32:05 am
I want to give thanks to a great man who has brought back my happiness to my life. Dr Jumba is really a great man. He helped me with a lottery spell and love spell. after my lover left me for 2years,i was so frustrated i almost killed myself until i got in contact with Dr Jumba who told me that my ex will be back to me within 24Hours.At first i taught Dr Jumba was a scam until the second day when my lover called me on phone and started begging me that he was sorry that i should forgive him and he bought me a Gold ring and wrist watch i was so happy and really believed that Dr Jumba is really a great spell caster and not a scam like other fake spell caster who are online to add pain to your pain,Please people that need help i will love you people to contact Dr Jumba because i can swear with my life that Dr Jumba is a man to trust.You can contact him on his WhatsApp: +27651108524 , or email him wiccalovespelltools@gmail.com or check out his website : https://drjumbaspellhome.wordpress.com/
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cindy byrd
8/16/2022 02:30:16 pm
Honestly I'm so happy shearing my amazing testimony on how Dr.Unity brought back my husband. My husband left me for another woman, This was just 3 years of our marriage. The most painful thing is that I was pregnant with our second baby. I wanted him back. I did everything within my reach to bring him back but all was in vain, I wanted him back so badly because of the love I had for him, I begged him with everything, I made promises but he refused. I explained my problem to my friend and she suggested that I should rather contact a spell caster that could help me cast a spell to bring him back , I had no choice than to try it. I messaged the spell caster called Dr unity, and he assured me there was no problem and that everything will be okay before 28 hours. He cast the spell and surprisingly 28 hours later my husband called me. I was so surprised, I answered the call and all he said was that he was so sorry for everything that had happened He wanted me to return to him. He also said he loved me so much. I was so happy and went to him that was how we started living together happily again.thanks to Dr unity . if you are here and your Lover is turning you down, or your husband moved to another woman, do not cry anymore, contact Dr.Unity for help now..Here his contact..
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cindy byrd
8/21/2022 10:00:14 pm
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cindy byrd
8/22/2022 05:25:13 pm
It’s never too later to get your ex lover back.. Dr.Unity brought my husband back to me in just 28hours. My husband left me for another woman, This was just 3 years of our marriage. The most painful thing is that I was pregnant with our second baby. I wanted him back. I did everything within my reach to bring him back but all was in vain, I wanted him back so badly because of the love I had for him, I begged him with everything, I made promises but he refused. I explained my problem to my friend and she suggested that I should rather contact a spell caster that could help me cast a spell to bring him back , I had no choice than to try it. I messaged the spell caster called Dr unity, and he assured me there was no problem and that everything will be okay before 28 hours. He cast the spell and surprisingly 28 hours later my husband called me. I was so surprised, I answered the call and all he said was that he was so sorry for everything that had happened He wanted me to return to him. He also said he loved me so much. I was so happy and went to him that was how we started living together happily again.thanks to Dr unity . if you are here and your Lover is turning you down, or your husband moved to another woman, do not cry anymore, contact Dr.Unity for help now..Here his contact..
Reply
cindybyrd
11/15/2022 06:30:53 am
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cindybyrd
11/15/2022 06:31:07 am
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11/30/2022 07:13:13 am
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11/30/2022 04:20:28 pm
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kate clancy
12/14/2022 03:19:54 am
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kate clancy
12/14/2022 09:51:37 am
Reply
Diana Sean
12/21/2022 03:35:41 am
I want to give thanks to a great man who has brought back my happiness to my life. Dr Jumba is really a great man. He helped me with a lottery spell and love spell. after my lover left me for 2years,i was so frustrated i almost killed myself until i got in contact with Dr Jumba who told me that my ex will be back to me within 24Hours.At first i taught Dr Jumba was a scam until the second day when my lover called me on phone and started begging me that he was sorry that i should forgive him and he bought me a Gold ring and wrist watch i was so happy and really believed that Dr Jumba is really a great spell caster and not a scam like other fake spell caster who are online to add pain to your pain,Please people that need help i will love you people to contact Dr Jumba because i can swear with my life that Dr Jumba is a man to trust.You can contact him on his WhatsApp: +27651108524 , or email him wiccalovespelltools@gmail.com or check out his website : https://drjumbaspellhome.wordpress.com/
Reply
Roger Griffiths
1/10/2023 07:49:28 pm
Top Secret Way To Win The Lottery With The Help Of A Magic Lottery spell caster called Dr Kumar.......I saw testimonies online on how Dr Kumar helped a lot of people in winning huge amounts in the lottery, so I decided to contact him for winning numbers. I contacted this man and he did a spell and he gave me the winning lottery numbers to play. Believe me when the draws were out I was among the winners. I won a $2.19 million jackpot. I have confirmed Dr Kumar and he is real and guaranteed. Now I am a living testimony of the good works of Dr Kumar, a gifted man with great powers, it is my secret but I decided to make the world known too. It might be a help to anyone who is interested. My comment might look funny to you but it is the truth and I promise you that it will not be funny when you win and share a testimony with others. This is a secret to win the lottery so I advise you to do the same. It’s not everybody that is naturally lucky, if you have problems in winning the lottery? then the solution to win is to contact Dr Kumar for the winning numbers and you can reach Dr Kumar on email: spellcasttemple@gmail.com or WhatsApp +2347051705853
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Lilian Ken
1/21/2023 09:18:37 pm
Most people get into a marriage with high and full spirits. They know full well what they are getting into and accept this with an open heart. While you may say that there is a lot of hype in marriages especially on the days leading up to the wedding day, it can get a bit frustrating to have a misunderstanding in your relationship. I have been through hell with my husband for a very long time. With the help of the great spell caster, I was able to resolve my marriage issue and now I finally find happiness in my marriage. For anyone going through any kind of relationship issue or you like to get back with your ex, I will suggest getting in touch with the best relationship advice specialist that will bring happiness back into your home. You can get in touch with The Great Dr.Jumba relationship and affair advisor on WhatsApp: +27651108524 or wiccalovespelltools@gmail.com . He is always ready to help people and bring back happiness into your life.
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