Posts Tagged "earthen vessels"

The Power of HOPE

Posted by Pat Stewart on Jul 12, 2018 in My Blog, Uncategorized | 0 comments

The Power of HOPE!! I have always known the value of good friends and family because I was blessed with being raised in a loving, supportive family where kindness and mutual respect were daily expressions. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in my 50s and endured, surgeries, a re-opening mastectomy incision and harsh chemotherapy while living alone, I became keenly aware of the POWER of the love of friends & family…or anyone, really who came offering HOPE. I also learned that there were people who were going along the very same journey who had none of what I did. So I prayed God would help me be aware of them to reach out to them and help however I might. And God did just that. When we reach out to someone in need or hurting there is a powerful energy from us to them and back in return. We may not know the real impact of our kindnesses but I believe those acts of kindness, expressions of love & encouragement work to give a very powerful HOPE to others who are desperate for it. I see us as earthen vessels crafted by our Holy Creator. I realize the times when my vessel is full to overflowing with love and goodness and also I know when I’m in need of a refill. I do believe God uses us to minister to others. Ever wonder why you sometimes find yourself in the presence of someone having a really hard time? You may think there’s nothing you can do to help, but a word of kindness or sometimes even just a smile can make a big deposit in the vessel of an aching, grieving heart or a struggle to continue life. These deposits become HOPE and hope is a lifeline to a struggling soul. In the last weeks, we have watched a miraculous rescue of 12 little boys and their coach stranded in a flooded Thai cave for over two weeks. Prayers were offered up from all around our world, highly skilled SEALS, divers & rescue personnel from Thailand and many other countries worked diligently to free the boys and coach safely. Doctors went into the cave to examine, comfort & treat the boys and coach. Around our world people of different cultures & faiths prayed for all to be rescued safely. Sometimes we felt helpless. The boys were a soccer team and there is a science to teamwork…you treat team mates with respect and encourage them. Help them feel better when things don’t go your way. Their coach was young and had previously been a monk and while they were in that cave on such a small ledge that was dry, he taught the boys how to meditate. What a leader he obviously was and comforting and encouraging. Think of all those dark, damp nights before they ever knew someone had found them. Meditation is a wonderful tool we can use to calm ourselves, become centered and, for me, I begin with “Be still and know I am God.” The coach taught the boys about finding hope. Hope is such a powerful gift. When we have it, life is good. When we are without hope, sometimes the life can drain right out of us. Those 13 earthen vessels probably found themselves pretty empty over those 17 days & nights but over & over they each received deposits from one another, their coach, all of the world’s prayers, from the divers that found them, the letters from parents that were delivered by the rescue teams, over and over. They were little...