I will never forget that day. She asked lots of questions, but the one that I had no answer for was "what are you hoping for?"
Blank.
What seemed like 5 minutes passed, and she said "don't try to give a perfect answer. Just say the first thing you think of--what are you hoping for?"
That advice didn't help. My heart and mind were still blank on the matter.
Then she challenged me to make a list of things that I thought were impossible but that I hoped would happen. I was to begin praying for the items on that list. You see, as long as my hope was in Amanda I could not make that list--perfectionsim and the desire to not fail kept me from hoping because my hope was in me.
When I finally allowed myself to place my hope in God, it became much eaiser to hope because not only is He the Hope-giver, but with Him all things are possible. When I was able to hope I was able to experiece joy and peace as well.
I had never before seen the connection of having hope to peace and joy. But, oh! How very connected they are!! Even Scripture puts them together, Paul says in Romans 15:13: "So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."
Here are a few of the things I was finally able to add to my "Impossible with Amanda but Possible with God: A Hope List":
- For my brother to be become a Christian
- To see some of my students become a church
- To see that church start more chruches among other students
- To see the entire island become a nation of believers in Christ
- To have my family come see me in Taiwan
- For a man God has choosen to "find" me and want to be my husband
- To be a wife
- To be a mother
- To visit Korea
- To visit Thailand
- To pay off my school loans quickly
- To live debt free
- To bring glory to God
I still keep a "Hope List" in the back of my journal because "for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly" (1 Corthians 13:13).
So, what are you hoping for?
So true, Amanda!
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping you find at least some of your hopes, and that you enjoy the path while you hope.
Amanda...thanks for sharing this! I think I will use this with my teenage daughters to get them thinking...and praying.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you in your ministry there!
Christie
What a question. I have never sat and just thought about such a question. Living in Taiwan huh? I bet that's an education. God bless you!
ReplyDeleteA hoping list is a wonderful idea. We're going through something now that I know I wouldn't be able to withstand if not for the hope - and the trust! - that God will care for us according to His plan. And I do find that there is far more contentment and peace in hoping in Him than not.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that story!