Living With Chronic Pain – Q&A – Finding Hope When Everything Feels Destroyed?
Q: I’ve lost everything, my health, my job, my husband and my dignity. So…how can you find hope when everything feels destroyed?
A: Thank you for your question. Consider two poignant thoughts…
First, no matter how much devastation has happened in your life, the fact remains that you are not totally destroyed, or else you would not be inquiring about finding hope. Although your life might seem pitifully small, like a single flower left in bloom from an entire bouquet, hope still remains. You can see this from the evidence of your willingness to live onward in which to build upon…
And second, just because this season seems to represent the dead of winter, it certainly will not continue this way indefinitely. Life cycles are ebb and flow between life and death. Most likely, your ghastly circumstances are not your last expressions of life.
Given these two factors alone, there exists a real opportunity to be freed from the chains of physical and emotional destruction, as well as having your heart renewed by the compassionate love of God.
You might have asked yourself, “Do not these miserable failings mark me as one rejected by God?” This is the typical reaction of those who suffer from overwhelming pain and hardship. Nevertheless, the cruelties of this world do not adequately supply the healthy nourishment required for your soul.
Back to your original question. The key to finding hope is to find out who God is. And afterwards, when you can trust in Him completely with everything…just as you are honestly, with the messiness of everything…then you’ll discover that He’s the real hope for living to begin with…
I encourage you to reconstruct your life on this very foundation. Your wintery experience will soon give way to the spring blossoms of new life.
Keep me on your favorites. For more about living with chronic pain and spiritual healing, visit me at www.gordonselley.com
To your health, Gordon Selley
