Renewal of Hope.

My birthdays aren't my fave. It's okay. I'm working through it, I promise. 

A couple of weeks ago, I turned 29. It did not go as planned. Due to not one but many circumstances, some of which were out of anyone's control.

Some of which, were in my control.

Far from celebration, I was in the middle of a mess of emotions.

I remember driving home, at the end of the day and praying and telling the Lord, "Ok, Lord, I'm in this storm now. Instead of fighting it, avoiding it, or resisting it, I'm going to lean into You through it. We are in this now."

My journal entry that night was a single line, "There's a confidence that is born in the middle of a storm."

Fast forward a handful of days later, and we find ourselves in a different kind of storm. A pandemic level storm.

And I found myself saying the same thing to the Lord, "Ok, Lord, we are in this storm now. Instead of fighting it, avoiding it, or resisting it, I'm going to lean into you through it. We are in this now."

This Winter when I was deep in the pits of depression, a sweet friend gave me the words of Lamentations 3. We often quote bits and pieces of this portion of Scripture. But, the portion she gave me, leading up to the familiar portion, caused a shift in the posture of my soul.

Maybe your soul needs the same shift today.

Lamentations 3:19-24 "Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. BUT this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. The steadfast Love of the LORD never ceases, His mercies new every morning; great is your faithfulness, ‘The LORD is my portion' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in Him..."

I can analyze, process and overthink literally all day. I am a professional at dwelling in the past. My soul does not need coaching or help to remember and to dwell on my "afflictions and my wanderings". I am guilty for recounting and digging up bitterness from any age. I am an expert at keeping score.

Where does it lead? It leads to a soul bowed low within me. It's a hopeless and exhausting road to walk down.

Oh but don't miss the shift.

BUT. Thank God for "BUT". This. This. This.

"This I call to mind and therefore I have HOPE! The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, His mercies new every morning, great is your faithfulness..."

Oh Lord, how I wish to be an expert at recalling all of the ways You have been faithful!

Change in attitude, the shift in the posture of the soul, and the outcome is the renewal of hope!

The renewal of Hope. What a beautiful and life-giving message we could all use today. This day. His mercies are new and they are waiting for you, as they have always been.

When I take only a minute to call to mind the faithfulness and hand of the LORD, I am bowed low--not in desperation or depression--but in humble adoration and praise. And the more you make it a practice to call to mind and dwell on those things, the better your hope reflex will be. Make that muscle strong.

It only takes a minute. His mercies awaiting you today. He invites you in and calls you to live. Awaken Soul and take heart, the steadfast love of the Lord will never cease. Disease, affliction, bitterness, wrongdoing--nothing can stand in the way of the Hope that is found in Jesus.

We are in this storm. We have no where to go but through it. Nothing is normal about what we are experiencing, so why don't we break away from our "normal" thought patterns and attitudes and postures. Don't you want to come out different on the other side? Don't fight it or resist it. Do not spend time dwelling on your past wanderings causing your soul to sink. Won't you use this time to lean into the Lord. To find out who Jesus is. And to call to mind--oh how faithful He is.

Because the confidence born in the middle of the storms? It comes from One source--One anchor--Jesus.