Anchor of Hope

Your words empower you or they disempower you. Your words heal you or they cut you. Your words build you up or they tear you down. Your words encourage you or they discourage you. Your words bless you or they curse you. Ultimately, your words produce life or death! It’s that simple.

So, what have you been saying about yourself lately? What do you say about yourself, your life, your circumstances, your body, your present, your future? Are you speaking words of life or death?

A Life Principle…

Life and death are in the power of the tongue – Proverbs 18:21

Here’s what you need to know…

Clinical studies and research tell us that your thoughts affect your feelings, and your feelings affect your behavior.

Remember, your words are powerful and fit in one of two categories: life or death.

Words are like the rudder on a moving boat. Your words can change the direction of your life.

Now, no one is going to drop dead immediately based on the words that they speak – I hope! However, over time, your words will create life or bring about death in your life and circumstances. Sounds a bit dramatic doesn’t it? Yet, here’s what the wisest man of the earth, King Solomon, had to say about it…” He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.” (Proverbs 13:3) He goes on to say, “He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from trouble.” (Proverbs 21:23) Your soul is your mind, will, and emotions. So, we could say it this way, when you guard your words, you guard your mind, will and emotions from trouble.

Statements I have heard people say about themselves in the past 48 hours:

• I’m a failure.

• I’m stupid.

• I’m worthless.

• I’m unlovable.

• I hate myself.

• I have a wound that will not heal.

• I am only going to get uglier, fatter, and have more medical problems as I age.

• I am a lifeless loser that no one cares about.

• I have no purpose in life.

• Things will never improve.

• I am a loser who just wants to give up.

• I am a bad person, I am stupid, and I can’t go to work or to college.

• I am evil and should be destroyed.

• I don’t deserve attention from people, I’m not worth it.

• I am trapped in a grotesque body that no one could ever love.

Oh, my heart is in pain over these statements – because they are “death” statements. These words are disempowering, destructive, discouraging, de-motivating, damaging, harmful, toxic, and deadly to your soul – your mind, your will and your emotions.

Here’s what I want you to do…

First, grab a pen and a piece of paper or your journal and begin to keep a list of the statements, both positive and negative, that you make about yourself this week. Begin to observe the way you feel shortly after and you will begin to see the power of this life principle.

“There are three ways of committing suicide: taking my own life, letting myself die, and letting myself live without hope.” Brennan Manning, “Lion and Lamb,” pg. 160

The contemplation of suicide demonstrates the necessity of hope! While the circumstances surrounding suicide are varied, many turn to suicide because of a loss of hope. He or she has decided that life’s not worth living. This tells us in order to live we need hope that will sustain us through life’s painful circumstances. Where do we find the kind of hope that will anchor us when our little boat has capsized on the sea of life?

I was raised in a Christian home since I was 2 years old. As long as I colored inside the prescribed lines, life was easy. I was in my late teens and early twenties before I began to experience the turbulence of life. Until then, I did not know that Christians could experience extreme feelings of hopelessness. But, we really can!

Sunday morning service was interrupted with a very urgent prayer request. Karen had been rushed to the emergency room early that morning as a result of a failed suicide attempt. Immediately, I turned to my mother sitting beside me and said, “Mom, we have to go see Karen”. Not knowing what to expect, we walked into the hospital room. Karen had tubes coming out of her everywhere. I could see charcoal being pumped into her stomach. She barely recognized us. Her arms were black and blue with bruises and cuts. How did this happen? How could Karen, a believer, come to the point of such hopelessness?

Your Life Will Not Make Sense Without An Eternal Perspective.

You cannot understand who you are and why you struggle on the earth until you begin to see yourself in the context of ETERNITY.

Colossians 3:1 – 4 tells us “…believers, aim at and seek the eternal treasures above where Christ is…set your minds and keep them set on what is above, the higher things, not on the things of the earth…your life is hidden with Christ…when Christ, who is our life, appears, you also will appear with Him in the splendor of glory”.

Here’s The Key…

We must keep our minds on eternal things above and not on temporal things of the earth. Only then can you make sense of your Monday morning blues.

Christ did not leave us on the earth without comfort; the Eternal God has His dwelling place in us. If you’re a believer, Christ is dwelling inside of you. This reality dynamically changes everything. I have sorrows, yes. But, I do not grieve as those who have no hope. I have Hope! Hope lives inside of me! “Christ in me, the Hope of glory”.

“The mystery of which was hidden for ages and generations (from angels and men), but is now revealed to the saints. To whom God was pleased to make known how great…are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within you, the Hope of glory (Colossians 1:26-27 AMP).

God Moments…

I was 17 years old, a senior in High School, sitting in the classroom, when this passage was highlighted to me one day by Holy Spirit. It was what I call a God moment! Today, whenever I hear this passage, I am immediately drawn back to the memory of that day. “Christ in you, the Hope of Glory”. This phrase played over, and over, and over in my mind. Consequently, this verse is among one of my favorites.

I recall another God moment when I was 13 years of age. I was sitting in front of the television late one evening as I watched one of those 80’s premier action police dramas. If my memory serves me correctly, it may have been HUNTER. Rick Hunter was a homicide detective who along with his female partner, Dee Dee McCall would investigate Los Angeles most bizarre murders. On this particular night, this episode was about hopeless, despairing young people who concluded that their lives no longer mattered. They lived without purpose. They lived without hope. They were angry with the circumstances that life had dealt them. And they sought revenge. The storyline continued to investigate a murder-suicide.

“This is someone’s reality”, I thought. “This really happens everyday – somewhere”. Suddenly, it was as if an arrow pierced my heart. I began to sob profusely. And, I heard the internal voice of the Lord call me to bring a message of hope to those who were so hopeless that they desired to end their lives by suicide. I sobbed and sobbed for an hour. This was a God moment! I felt like my life had been marked by God as He gave me my life’s assignment – to bring a message of HOPE to the hopeless.

Within several years, HOPE began to be one of my touch words. In fact, I named my white Hyundai Excel, Lil’ White Hope. Boy, those God moments are really powerful. Don’t be surprised if I name my daughter, Hope!

Consider This…

“No one born of God deliberately, knowingly, and habitually practices sin, for God’s nature abides in him; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born of God” (I John 3:9 AMP). This is amazing! The very life of God abides, and dwells in my human spirit. I am not alone.

“This is the agreement (covenant) that I will set up and conclude with them after those days, says the Lord: I will imprint My laws upon their hearts (emotions) and I will inscribe them on their minds (thoughts and understanding)” (Hebrews 10:16 AMP). We have the mind of Christ – this empowers your heart, and your emotions.

“That you may really come to know practically, through experience for yourselves, the love of Christ… that you may be filled (through your being) unto all the fullness of God (may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body filled and flooded with God Himself!)” (Ephesians 3:19 AMP). Can you imagine your mind, body, and spirit flooded with God Himself?

“By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers of the divine nature.” (II Peter 1:4 AMP) We, redeemed human beings, share in the divine nature of God. Meditate on this reality.

My friend, life is worth living! God has a wonderful plan for your life! Anchor your life, your heart, and your emotions in this reality – in the revelation of the mystery… “CHRIST IN YOU, the HOPE of glory”.

What is the purpose of the human race? A description of this purpose begins in Genesis 1 and continues straight through to the last four chapters of Revelation. Genesis begins with a marriage, and Revelation ends with a marriage. The Cross itself is about a marriage. So, what’s it all about?

It’s all about YOU. It’s about who you are. It’s about where you come from. It’s about your purpose. It’s about your destiny. It’s about your inheritance.

Human Beings Statement Of Purpose

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness….So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.  And God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:26-28)

We, human beings, were created in the image and likeness of God.  Therefore, we have a spirit like God has a spirit.  The DNA of God was deposited in our human spirit.  We have a soul that consists of our mind, our will, and our emotions.  Humans have an unlimited capacity to learn. We have a full range of emotions.  We were created with the ability to make decisions that affect the quality of our life and the lives of others forever.  And God gave man dominion over the earth.

It’s important to understand that in Genesis 1 and 2 God is deliberately revealing  the blueprint of His grand plan.

The Cleaving Heart Of God

Let’s look at a few of the parallels from Genesis 2.  Adam is in Paradise, with all authority, and he’s waiting on his bride, a partner with whom to share his authority.  God says that it’s not good for Adam to be alone.  Likewise, God said that it was not good for Jesus to be alone in rulership.  Adam had to be put to sleep, and his side was pierced, and Eve came forth.

In the same way, Jesus side was pierced, and He was put to sleep in death on the cross in order to bring forth His bride. The last four chapters of the book of Revelation are a picture of Jesus and His bride together in Paradise, and He has removed all the enemies of righteousness and love forever. 

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:24-25).

The story of redemption is God, in flesh, cleaving to human beings!  Jesus had to leave His father in death, and we see Him cleaving to His bride in Paradise.

Can You Imagine The Human Experience Without Shame? 

Verse 25 tells us that there is intimacy with no shame.  There’s no shame in Paradise.  In Paradise Jesus will unveil His glory and our glory.  Can you imagine being known as you really are and still being desired by God?

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:31 – 32).

Paul quotes directly from Genesis 2 about the garden of Paradise and this cleaving with no shame.  Paul says this is a great mystery:  but I speak concerning the relation of Christ and the Church, the bride.

Therefore, Genesis 2 is a statement about the great mystery, the hidden plan in God’s heart.  Because the Adam that God is talking about in the garden is Jesus.  He, Jesus, will descend to earth and He will be made of dust, and He will be pierced in His side, and out of His side will come a supernatural bride.  His bride is fully restored through redemption and in resurrection they cleave to one another forever.   She is desired, enjoyed, cleansed, and capable of intimacy – never shamed and never inadequate.

There is no greater statement of the unrelenting desire, love, and passion of a bridegroom God, who took upon Himself the form of a man, because He longed for a marriage partner forever.  He is a God who desires you and me beyond anything that we can imagine.  When, we understand that this is His heart, we will run to Him in confidence, and not from Him in shame.

Remember The Criminal Next To Jesus On The Cross? 

He said, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom…and Jesus said to him…today, you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:39-43).  To fully grasp what Jesus said we must look at John 17:24-26.  Jesus was in the garden praying to His father just hours before the scene of the Cross.  Jesus prayed, “Father, I desire… I want them to be with Me where I am…”  Hours after this prayer Jesus hung on the cross and that prayer lingered in His spirit.  The criminal believed Jesus was a righteous King.  What was Jesus response to this criminal’s statement of faith?  “Today, you will be with Me where I am…today you will be with Me in Paradise”.  Oh, I love His heart!

The Criminal Is Stunned When He Found Himself In Paradise.

He died a criminal, without any money, without friends, and without honor.  He was an outcast of society. Yet, he stepped across that mysterious line in physical death and found out that in Paradise he was honored like a king. Suddenly, he had no more guilt, and no more shame.

What Was That Like?

I imagine the criminal looking around and saying, ‘but no one ever told me I was a king.  If only I knew who I was, where I had come from, how You saw me, and where I would be going, I would not have committed the crime.  I always believed in You but I thought You were angry with me because of my tendency towards sin.  I tried to walk rightly, but the very things I did not want to do are the things I found myself doing.  I wanted to come close to You, and to be near You. I desired fellowship with You, but I thought You only saw me as a hopeless hypocrite.  I would often go to church, but I didn’t feel worthy enough to participate in Worship.  I was tormented by rejection, guilt, fear, and shame.  I didn’t know that You heard the cry of my heart to be close to You each time I miserably failed.  I didn’t know that You had such intense passion for me, and You pursued me even to the Cross’.  The criminal looks at his robe and garments in disbelief when he finds himself in Paradise.

God did not desire mechanical robots that would involuntarily and without emotion follow His commands. Instead, God passionately desires living souls on whom He can lavish His love, and with whom He can enjoy a meaningful, intimate relationship. God desires relationship with human beings. He wants friendship. He longs for a deep heart connect. For this purpose He created you.

What would dignify His love? How would you know His love was genuine?

In order for His love to be real, and in order for your love to be authentic, He created you with the freedom to choose. That’s right! You have the freedom to choose. He will never force you to say yes to Him. He created you with great dignity and worth. You have the freedom to choose to receive His love or to reject His love. God honors the choices you make. He will never violate the dignity of your free will. Remember, love is not real love without a choice. Love is not real love without the freedom to say yes or the freedom to say no to love’s invitation.

Therefore, the temptations in this natural world had to be real.

The choices had to be real. You will choose good or evil, righteousness or unrighteousness, justice or injustice. You have the freedom to love or to hate, to live in peace or strife, to choose life or death, to say yes or no, to be happy or sad, to pursue humility or pride, to choose blessing or cursing. It’s your choice to give love, or to withhold love, to respond with harshness or with gentleness. It’s your choice! You get to choose. And, the choices you make in freedom are real and really matter. The choices you make have consequences in this life and the next. The decisions you make today affect the quality of your life now and in the age to come. Every one of your choices matter.

God risked everything for love – imagine His vulnerability.

This is stunning! He loves you and nothing can or will ever change that fact. Love Himself will always love you. God’s love is without condition. This means that you can choose to receive His love or you can choose to scorn His love. In either case, His love remains the same. His love does not change based on what you do or do not do. He loves you so much and that’s all there is to it. That fact cannot be questioned, negotiated, or diluted. It simply is. You are passionately loved by God.

Oh, the vulnerability of God’s heart! His heart will feel pain if you choose to refuse His love. That is the risk of love. Jesus said, I am not willing that any should perish (live eternally separated from God). That’s His heart. But remember, love is not love unless you have the freedom to choose. What a risk! He risked being rejected. He risked a broken heart. He risked His reputation. He risked the very real fact that you could refuse His love.

Think about this –

God created you with great love, care and delicate precision down to every single detail of your life. He made you with purpose and for a purpose. He breathed His very own breath into you. He is the one who sustains your life. He is the one who cares most about you. Yet, because authentic love is selfless love, God keeps His hand open and says “now, you choose…”

Don’t think for a minute that God sits back with His arms crossed and passively waits for you to choose to receive or to refuse His love. Not a chance!

My friend, trace your life’s story and you will begin to see how relentlessly He has pursued your heart. Love seeks to win your affection but ultimately you choose. This is the dignity of your human spirit, and Love will never violate your free will.

Most of us have read enchanted fairy tales or watched animated movies like Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. These stories and others seem to reveal something intrinsic about our own hearts. We are fascinated with beauty. We are exhilarated by romance. We are enamored with the lives of royalty. Any idea why?

There’s Something Magical About Love, Romance And Weddings

Sure there’s the promise of bliss and living “happily ever after”. Oh, it sounds wonderful! But, there’s also the sad reality that 50% of marriages end in divorce. This is a staggering statistic. But, what is more astonishing is that those statistics do not dissuade love, romance or marriage. Divorced men and women often find love again, and many marry again. Love, romance, and weddings continue. Why?

As a kid I enjoyed many hours of play with my friends, cousins, and siblings. We would perform our very own fairy tale weddings. We would dress up as a princess, a queen, or a bride. Some weddings were grand events. Others were intimate gatherings. The joy of this was that YOUR wedding could be anything your heart desired.

In our “make believe” world, all of us would experience the delight of being chosen the bride or groom, the king or queen, the prince or princess. We were fascinated with the idea of being royalty. And we never seemed to grow tired of exploring this dream in our hearts.

Could it be that our pretend play reveals an innate longing – a craving inside all of us to be chosen, to be loved, to be cherished, to be special, to be pursued, and to be enjoyed by someone?

To Be Desired Is Powerful

It’s exhilarating, energizing, and motivating. We long to hear these words, “Will you marry me”? What happens in your heart when you hear those words? Naturally, you feel desired. You feel chosen. You feel enjoyed. You feel valued. You feel special. Why?

In The Beginning

Before creation, the heart of God passionately desired relationship. He had a plan to create men and women who would choose to receive His love and to love Him in return by their own choice. God’s heart was full of desire, affection, pleasure and delight when He made YOU. You were made in His likeness and in His image (Genesis 1:26, 27)

You were created with the capacity to have intimate relationship with God. This is a staggering truth about who you are! Think about this –God, who made billions of galaxies, used His wisdom and power to create you with the capacity to intimately relate to Him.

Consider This…

Who is the most powerful man or woman in history? And, how did they use their power? Sadly, most use their power to make servants, slaves or to deceive, manipulate, demand harshly, and control us. And how does the Creator of everything you see and can’t see use His power? He created YOU!

Love Is Not Love Without A Choice

Therefore, because of God’s love for you He created you with dignity and worth and He will never violate your free will. God never uses his power to abuse, enslave or force us to love Him. He will never make you say yes to Him.

The Original Plan In God’s Heart For You

Adam and Eve were made in the image and likeness of God. They were created to live in intimate fellowship with God in paradise, and enjoy the greatest of human pleasures. Through their own choice sin and death entered the world. Consequently, the intimate relationship that Adam and Eve enjoyed was suddenly injured by guilt and shame over their sin. Did God have a plan? Absolutely!

John 3:16 says it best, “For God loved YOU so much that He gave His only son that whoever would believe in Him would not perish (live separated from their Creator) AND would have eternal life” (live in intimate relationship with God forever). You are loved by God.

The angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream and said, “….The child who has been conceived in Mary is of the Holy Spirit. She will have a son and you will call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins”.

There Is No Greater Love Than This

God gave His only son, Jesus, who came from heaven to earth in the lowliest, most humble conditions on earth, to live among us. Why? Because, He knew something about your design that you did not know.

You Were Not Made To Live Separated From Your Creator

Jesus’ last prayer before He went to the cross was “Father, I desire. I want to be with them. I want them to be with me” (John 17:24). Jesus asked His Father for a bride. Can you feel the desire in His heart for you? You are desired by God!

God Has Affectionate Desire For You

God described His joy, “…as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you” (Isaiah 62:5). God rejoices over you!

Hosea was the first person to speak about the reality that Jesus, the Messiah, is a bridegroom. Hosea said, “It will come about in that day, declares the Lord, that you will call me husband….I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in love and kindness and in compassion, And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, then you will know the Lord”. (Hosea 2:16, 19-29).

The Kingdom Of God Is Led By A Messiah Who Is A Bridegroom

“He who has the bride is the bridegroom...” (John 3:29)

Jesus said, “… the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son…” (Matthew 22:2). Jesus, the Messiah, is a bridegroom. His heart motivation is that of a bridegroom. He has affectionate desire for you. You’re His inheritance, His eternal companion, and His love for you has been burning in His heart from the beginning. Ephesians 3:9 tells us that this MYSTERY was hidden in the heart of God for ages.

This Bridegroom will do whatever it takes to win your heart with His great love, compassion, tenderness, and righteousness. You will call Him husband, lover, protector, provider, and shepherd of your heart. He gives you security, blessings, provision, safety – a place of enduring comfort and hope. When you say yes to Him you become royalty, His cherished bride. Love, romance, and weddings first began in God’s heart!

For 6 months during my prayer time, I was in deep anguish over my sin, my weaknesses, and my failures. I would groan in agony. Why? Because, the things I desperately did not want to do were the very things I found myself doing. And, the things I sincerely wanted to do I felt powerless to accomplish.

I felt like a hopeless hypocrite. I feared that God was weary of my coming to Him again and again with the same issues. I hated my sin. I despised my weaknesses. I mourned my failures. I cried, ‘Abba, let me hate the things that you hate and love the things that you love’. Despite my prayers of repentance, and pleas for help, little seemed to change. Until the night the Lord encountered me in a dream.

Here’s The Dream…

Suddenly, I was standing eye to eye with a man. No words were spoken. I looked deeply into his eyes and knew everything about him. He was a good man but, he did not have relationship with the Lord. Then the Lord whispered in my ear, “Now, I’m going to let you feel my love for this man”. Immediately, I felt the tangible manifest presence of God’s unconditional love and heart for this man. It was powerful!

All of a sudden, that man disappeared and a second man stood eye to eye with me. Not one word was spoken between us. I looked intently in his eyes and knew everything about him. He had been a believer from his childhood. And for most of his life He had walked in the ways of the Lord. The Lord whispered in my ear, “Now, I’m going to let you feel my love for this man”.

Instantly, I felt the tangible manifest presence of God’s unconditional love and heart for this man. God’s love did not change at all from the first man to the second man. ‘Interesting’, I thought. The Lord said, “Now, I’m going to let you feel his love back for me”. Right away, I felt this man’s love and tender heart for God.

Swiftly, that man disappeared and a third man stood eye to eye with me. No words are spoken. I looked steadily in his eyes and knew he had known the Lord for less than 25% of his life. The Lord said, “Now, I’m going to let you feel my love for this man”.

Without delay I felt the tangible manifest presence of God’s love and heart for this man. I was stunned! God’s love did not change from the first man, to the second, or to the third. I was completely fascinated. His love remained consistent, unchanged, and equally powerful. The Lord said, “Now, I’m going to let you feel his love back for me”. His love for God was distinctly stronger than the second man. I was astonished.

In a flash, that man disappeared and a fourth man stood in front of me. But, this man did not stand eye to eye with me. Instead, he stood with his back to me. A movie screen of his life played before my eyes. He was a believer. He loved the Lord. Yet, I could see him failing miserably in the present. I could see him struggling with his sin. I identified with this man’s struggle. But, in my heart I thought, ‘there’s no way the Lord’s love for this guy is going to be the same as the first, second or the third man. It’s impossible. Look at this guy. He’s too ashamed to look me eye to eye’.

This man looked heavenward over his right shoulder. In the weakest of voice he cried out to God for help. His countenance was filled with desperation and anguish. I could feel the ache and grief in his heart over his sin. The Lord said, “Now, I’m going to let you feel my love for this man”. Surely, God’s love for him would be significantly less, I thought.

Immediately, the Lord allowed me to feel His unconditional love and heart for this man. I was shocked! It was the same tangible manifest presence of God’s unconditional love. Inside, I screamed, ‘how is that possible? Do you see what I see? I don’t understand’, I said. Then the Lord tenderly whispered in my ear and said, “Now, I’m going to let you feel what I get to feel”!

It was as if He was going to share one of His greatest pleasures with me. What I felt next rocked my world. This man’s love for the Lord was off the charts, friend. Off the charts! It was passionate wholehearted love with wild abandon. It was red hot fiery love. It was so intense, it took my breath away. Gasping for air I cried, ‘how can this be’? With delight the Lord said, “He who’s been forgiven much, loves much”.

The dream ended. I was suddenly awake. I felt the tangible presence of God resting on me. My heart was filled with awe and wonder at the heart of God. I could still hear His words ringing in my ear, “I’m going to let you feel what I get to feel… get to feel…get to feel”. It had been so long since I had felt His presence. I did not want to move.

‘What was it about this last man that moved Your heart so deeply’? I wondered. The Lord said, “Did you see his face”? ‘Yes, I saw his face. He gave you a slight glance’. “Yes, but it was a sincere glance. Did you hear his cry”? ‘Yes, I heard his weak cry’, I said. “Oh, but it was a genuine cry that moved my heart with compassion, love and mercy”, He said. “Even the slightest glance My way, even the weakest cry to Me for help, even in his weakness, even in his immaturity, he is a lover of God. He hates what I hate. And, He loves what I love. He pursues righteousness. He aggressively wars against the lust of his flesh. Therefore, his love is real, and authentic and it moves my heart”, He said.

Friend, if you are contemplating suicide, then I am writing to you with urgency. So, listen very closely as you read every word, because this may be the most important message of your entire life!

You Do Not Want To Die

You want to end the pain and suffering. There is a difference. You do not want to die. You want to live. The problem is that you believe that your pain and suffering will never end. You’ve been feeling this agonizing pain for so long. It feels like a life sentence. You do not want to die. You want to live. You just want the pain to end.

The feelings you have indicate to you that deep down inside you know you were made for so much more than you’ve been living. ‘But, I can’t see it… all I see is more pain’. That’s because… pain has blinded you from being able to see it.

The truth is …your pain and suffering is temporary. I know temporary feels like forever when you’re in pain. Perhaps, you’ve been in this pain for years and years. But, in view of eternity, it really is only temporary. This life is just a minute compared to eternity. I realize when you are experiencing pain and suffering ….it can be a very long minute. But, as the song says, “troubles don’t last always”.

Here’s Part Of My Story…

Twelve years ago, I desperately wanted to end my life. I made an unsuccessful suicide attempt. And 10 years ago my daddy ended his life by suicide. The horror, pain, and emotional wreckage that followed my daddy’s death left me desperate to end my pain. There were times I didn’t think I could face 5 more minutes of pain…it was definitely the darkest hour of my life. I did not know how to make the pain stop. This went on for years…

Let me tell you why I’m writing to you with such urgency…I want you to CHOOSE TO LIVE. And here’s why… Because…..

• You were created for a unique purpose and destiny you have yet to discover.
  

• Your life isn’t over.

• You are not too far gone.

• Your life matters.

• You have dignity and worth.

• You hold the key to unlock your amazing future.

• You will make a difference and impact the lives of many.

• You can create and enjoy the loving relationships you long for.

• You can be happy, laugh, and genuinely smile again.

• You can live an extraordinary, successful, and meaningful life.

‘Where is this life you’re talking about’?’ It’s in front of you. You will discover it as you move through your pain and get on the other side of this time in your life… You just need some help navigating through the raging storm you are in. You just need to hear and know that you are not alone.

I know you feel like your life is ship-wrecked and beyond repair. But, you’re not beyond help. There’s still time for you to unlock the beauty, passion and goodness inside of you. It is there… deep down inside, buried underneath a whole lot of pain. There’s still time for you to learn to be yourself, and to love yourself.

Visualize your life without the feelings of isolation, loneliness and despair. Imagine living your life in peace with no guilt and no shame. ‘Is it really possible’? You bet it is! Now, press delete on your past failures. Your past will resolve itself as you move forward and live your life.

You’re not a hopeless failure. Don’t believe the lies. Other people’s opinions about you don’t have to become your reality. You choose your reality. Overcome. And learn how to transform your weaknesses into strengths. When this happens, you will be catapulted out of the intensity of emotional pain you’ve been experiencing. And you will begin to experience a Fresh Start.

You can make it through this storm. You can make it through these trials. You can make it through the pain. You can make it. Hold on. On the other side of this storm you will find new strength, hope, joy, happiness and peace.

There really is something more to live for than the pain and suffering you have endured. As crazy as it seems your pain when transformed will serve a great purpose - for yourself and for others.

Think about this…

There are people in the earth today that you are uniquely assigned to and who need to benefit from that great gift inside of you called purpose and destiny.

And The Other Part Of My Story…well…

I’ll tell you the rest of the story at another time. But the short version is ….I asked for help. I found support. And by God’s grace I learned how to cope with life…when staying alive was so hard to do.

You matter. Your life matters. You are here by divine design and for a very unique purpose. There’s no one else like you on the planet. No one! And no one can do what you were created to do. No one can accomplish your destiny. And people are waiting on you to fulfill your divine assignment.

So, what is it? And what do you want your life to be about? It’s okay if you don’t know the answer to those questions just yet. But, start dreaming again. Because, you’re life as you know it will change. Better days are just around the corner. Believe it!

Here’s the good news…

…listen carefully to the heartbeat of Jesus for you… He says, “I care about you. I love you. I have not forgotten you. I’m with you always. Give me your guilt, your shame and your failures. Let’s make an exchange, right now. I will take your sorrows and give you joy. Tired? Give me your pain, your doubts, your fears and I will give you rest. I’ll remove the weight from your shoulders. I will take the pain off your chest.

Let me wrap my arms tightly around you and hold you. I accept you - just as you are. I am making something so attractive and beautiful out of your life. Yes, you’re life! I waste nothing. Not one experience is wasted. I use everything. And I will make everything work for your good.

I demonstrated my love for you when I came to earth, and suffered as a man, like you. I endured public humiliation, shame and unimaginable pain. I was rejected, a man of sorrows and experienced unspeakable grief. Why? So, I could feel what you feel.

Then, I carried your pain, your rejection, your grief, and your transgressions too the cross. Sin separated us. My blood shed was the price to reconcile our relationship. Why?

To restore the love and relationship you were created to enjoy… communion and fellowship with your Creator now and forever – in eternity. And out of this reconciled relationship you can enjoy My blessings now in your health, family, relationships, finances and your life.

I suffered so you can live. I suffered so you can be free from guilt and shame. Believe me and embrace My love for you.

Yes, in this life you will have troubles, but take courage…I have overcome. And I will empower you to overcome. And, one day we will be together forever in a place where there will be no more sickness, no disease, no sorrow, no tears, and no death. Until that day, know that I love you. And, I’m for you! Now, choose to live and discover the destiny, hope and future I have for you. I am with you always”.

Here’s What I Want You To Do…

Ask For Help! Find Someone You Can Talk To Right Now! Call a Counselor, A Friend, A Family Member….

My heart was as shattered as the broken glass I was sitting in. Oh, the ache inside. The emotional pain was persistent and unyielding. At times, it was simply deafening. Sleepless nights filled with anxiety left me in a fetal position as I lay in the floor and would rock back and forward, back and forward hour after hour. I mustered the last bit of energy I had, and faintly whispered, “Jesus, Jesus” as I rocked. I had no other words. Just raw pain and open wounds of multiple losses and rejection. I did not know how to make the pain stop. I was angry. I was hurt. I was sad. I was depressed.

Consequently, chronic pain began in my neck. I could not turn my head from side to side. The physical and emotional pain overwhelmed me to the point of absolute hopelessness and despair.

Soon, I was bombarded with thoughts of suicide day and night. I did not really want to die. But, I did want the pain to end. I wanted those who treated me unjustly to suffer the pain of loss and rejection I had experienced. I wanted them to feel indescribable anguish and guilt for conditional love. I wanted them to forever grieve the day they rejected me. I wanted them to pay for the pain and emotional distress they caused me. I wanted justice and suicide was the way I chose to seek it.

At 26 years of age, an unsuccessful suicide attempt landed me in a hospital psychiatric ward for seven dreadfully long days. What a scary place! These people are really crazy, I thought. I don’t belong here. I called my therapist and psychiatrist and pleaded to be released immediately - to no avail.

The collective pain and shared stories of the patients in the psychiatric ward overwhelmed me. My pain and problems seemed to pale in comparison. With support, I made a commitment to stay alive and to learn healthy ways to reconcile my painful crisis of loss, rejection, and conditional love.

I wish I could say, “We lived happily ever after”. But, that would not be true. Two years later my daddy, 57, died by suicide. The horror and emotional wreckage was endless and affected and continues to affect so many people - wife, children, grand-children, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, church family, community, co-workers, friends, and generations to come.

A year after my daddy died I was sexually abused. I did not find justice in the judicial system. Consequently, I was tormented with anger, despair, disillusionment, depression, and thoughts of suicide. The pain was unbearable, the grief inconsolable, and the torment unrelenting.

During this time, I was counseled by a psychotherapist, a sexual abuse expert, and a psychiatrist who had me on antidepressants. I was in the blackest hole of my life with almost no hope of coming out. I wanted justice, but there was none to be found. I didn’t think I could face five more minutes of this pain. My daddy didn’t, why should I?

Wisely, a counselor insisted that I sign a letter that said “I will not commit suicide. If I feel like I want to die I must call my counselor and tell someone immediately”.

I remembered when my dad died by suicide. It was a nightmare! Investigators treated the situation like a crime scene - homicide until proven suicide. Nightmare’s followed with profound and gut-wrenching pain. The question “why” remained unanswered. Feelings of abandonment, and rejection nearly pushed several of my family members over the edge. How could I do this to my family again?

Questions screamed in my head. Where is the one who will fight for me? Where is the one who will protect me? Who will make the wrong things right? Where is the hope to go on living? In my mind, I lived in a hopeless prison.

Then, I began to hear about a righteous Judge who would fight on my behalf and on behalf of all the afflicted, the abused, the weak, the sick, the widow, the orphan, the abandoned, the rejected, the outcast, the poor, and the needy. And when I asked Him, He said He would take my case! Why? I asked. Because, you’re worth it, He responded. I have come with good news, He said. I have come to heal your broken heart! I have come to free you from your hopeless prison! I have come to give you beauty in exchange for the ash heap of your life! I have come to give you joy in exchange for your grief! He said I have come to put a song in your mouth in exchange for your tired spirit. Instead of your shame you will have double for your trouble. Instead of humiliation, you will have joy. Why? Because, I love justice! (Isaiah 61)

He cried with me! In fact, He bottled every tear I ever cried. He listened to my stories! He believed me! He gave me back my dignity and worth. I have heard your cry, He said. I heard your distress call. He took me from the raging waters of life that threatened to drown me. He rescued me, He said, because He delights in me. Then He said, take courage! Do not be afraid. I will go after your enemies with vengeance. I will save you. I will deliver you. (Psalm 18)

I believed Him! Jesus, the righteous Judge, gave me renewed strength. I got my life back seven years ago. I laugh again. I smile again. I no longer swing back and forth on the pendulum of suicidal despair. I’m not depressed. I’m fully alive on the inside. Do I still have painful circumstances in my life? Yes! But, now I have enduring HOPE. And you can too!

The righteous Judge loves you and wants you to know He sees everything! Vengeance is mine, I will repay declares the Lord. Believe again. Trust again. Live again. Hope again.