When I got sober I had to find something to substitute for
alcohol. Alcohol had brought escape,
hope, and solutions. I no longer cared so problems seemed to stop existing.
For
these twelve years of sobriety, I have attempted to place my hope for good
things on the wrong stuff. I hoped in
good circumstances and then found that things shifted or changed. Money got spent, people moved, jobs gave
little sense of accomplishment. I
attempted to put hope in people. That
was almost always a mistake. People are
human. They are often distracted,
apathetic, rude, or untrustworthy. Even
the best people in my life let me down sometimes. That is because they are not supposed to be my
major source of hope. I am expecting far too much from them.
Only God brings true hope. Why is it unnatural for me to
hope in God? That might be because God
is eternal and I live in the temporal.
But wait... can I live in the eternal, or unseen realm? I am noticing that when I pray, I enter the unseen realm. That is when I get my hope. That is where I get my hope. When I see and hear things God’s way, the earthly things are not so important. The unseen realm brings a dimension of calm because God is present and in control. He gives me faith to believe that things can change for the good. I am trying to take this eternal perspective with me as I leave my prayer time. I will let my expectations come from God - all day long. He is the living hope who has resources, ideas, provisions and power that are not of this earthly realm.
I will lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. Ps. 121:1
