Have you ever had your hopes and dreams shattered into a million pieces? Has the life you used to live become a distant memory and the present day full of tremendous pain? Do you look to the future, and struggle to find hope in the darkness of the unknown?
I found myself in this place when my child first began exhibiting signs of mental illness. Not only were my plans changed, but the expectations of the life she wanted began evaporating before her eyes.
How would I find hope in the darkness of the unknown?
Denial
At first, denial kicked in, and with determination, I set out to make sure everything would go back to precisely the way it was before the mental illness. I needed no convincing. I was sure this would NOT be our “new normal” but only a short detour. We would work hard, find great doctors, and together, we would conquer this illness. I refused to see our dreams were shattered.
Yes, I am a fighter with a positive way of thinking. Of course, this isn’t all bad, but it is not sustainable for the long haul. Positive thinking will not be enough when dreams are shattered!
As life settled in, it became apparent the world of mental illness was here to stay in my home. It could not be wished away or fought away or moved to disappear with positive thinking. I needed something more. Something to help me kick the covers off my body, lift my head from my pillow, put my feet on the floor, and get out of bed each morning.
I needed HOPE as I had never needed it before.
Especially on the days when it appeared, all those around me had given up on HOPE for a better day. My soul was crying out.
But how does one find HOPE in something they aren’t sure will come to fruition? It seemed dangerous to set oneself up for such disappointment. How could my heart hope for a better day and handle the failure if a better day never… Share on X
How do you find hope in the darkness of the unknown? Share on X
I needed hope which could withstand the ups and downs of an illness of this magnitude.
But something needed to come before HOPE…..
Click here to continue reading and find out what needs to come before Hope.
It is an honor to be sharing my words, “How to Hold on to Hope when Dreams are Shattered” over on “Rachel Marie Lee’s” beautiful website where she has invited several writers to share in a series called “Stories of Hope.” Each author contributes a unique perspective on what hope looks like in the midst of a personal life challenge. Plus while you are there, you can meet my friend Rachel who writes about finding hope through the lens of suffering. I have no doubt her words will penetrate your heart and instill hope as they have mine.
I thought you might enjoy this song on HOPE.
Hope Rising Worship – Hope is rising
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Will You Join Us in Learning More About Mental Health?
Click the graphic above to take you to Maree Dee’s – Mental Health Awareness Page.
Maree and her daughter will be giving a presentation at Circles of Hope: Mental Health Support on May 21, 2019 – “How to Support Someone with an Anxiety Disorder.” Click here for more information.
We would love to have you join our community.
Embracing the Unexpected | Maree Dee
Subscribe today and never miss a post.
Thanks for this messge!!! When i have trouble i will hope that can overcome it….but God make me strong and give me what i need not what i want.. God bless you
Yes, God will do that. Blessings to you too. Thank you for stopping by. Maree
Maree Dee, such a great post on hope. I just love the word hope! Positive thinking certainly is not enough, or the answer. There’s so many different things people need hope for toady. Hope in the waiting times is a particularly difficult one for me, but we know Jesus is our Hope! Thanks for this post, all the great links and reminders. Tweeted. Thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements!
Patsy, Thank you for your words of encouragement. I too love the word HOPE. Blessings, Maree
It can be very challenging when we suffer those kinds of setbacks. I try to remember the sovereignty of God and how everything in my life is filtered through His hands even when it seems devastating to me. I try to remember that He has a plan and a purpose in it all. Thanks for sharing.
Donna, Thank you for adding your wise words. I agree remembering God has a plan is essential. Many many times, I say, “God, I don’t know why, but I trust you.” Maree
This is a great post! It’s amazing to know that no matter what circumstances we face there is always hope to be found in God!
Lesley – I agree it is amazing how hope can be found. Blessings to you, Maree
This is so uplifting. Trust definitely comes before hope, and reminders of all that Jesus has done in the past and how He has always come through go a LONG way in re-establishing hope. I am so grateful for this post this morning.
Thank you for letting me know. I am so glad this spoke to you this morning. Your response spoke to me. Blessings, Maree
Thank you for this, Maree! I went over and read the whole post but wanted to comment here. My circumstances with my child were different but the story is so very familiar. I tried to fix. I pleaded. I did everything I could think of and when all of that failed … I was broken. Like you, with God’s help that’s when I slowly began to TRUST! Blessings and Hugs!
Deb – You are so sweet to come back here and post a comment. Even though our circumstances may not be the same, I am sure there are threads of similarity, and we understand each other more than most. Moms want to make things better for our children and we hurt deep when our children hurt. No matter what the circumstances are. Thank you for stopping by. I hope we meet one of these days. Maree
Thanks, Maree, for sharing this bit of Rachel wisdom. Heading over to read the remainder!
Michele – Thank you for stopping by to reading and clicking over to Rachel’s site to continue this article. Maree