A close loved one has been estranged from my family for over ten years now, with no desire for communication or reconciliation. To this day, it is difficult to understand the reason for his departure. Our family feels his absence daily, and it causes great pain in our hearts. We love him unconditionally and miss him dearly. As the years pass without restoration of the relationship, we find it difficult to maintain sustained hope that reconciliation and healing will ever occur.
But amid such doubts, Paul’s words encourage me. He reminds us that as we trust in God, He will fill us with joy, peace, and hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Through God, I have sustained hope.
As a reminder of this hope, I keep the last gift my estranged loved one gave me pinned to a wall in my house: a necklace woven with braids of yellow, red, and orange thread with a crystal heart medallion at the end. As I see it daily, it reminds me to pray for my lost loved one.
Over the years, the colors in the necklace have faded and the yarn has frayed, but much like my hope, the necklace remains. Seeing it reminds me of my love for my estranged loved one and the hope that he will one day return.
As I pray for my loved one and those affected by his absence, I thank God that He is working all things for good. I am filled with hope as I trust in Him.
No matter how difficult things are, look to God for sustained hope.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay and Pexels.)
Emily Marszalek enjoys the simple pleasures in life in the Pacific Northwest with her husband Nick and their two Goldendoodles, Charlie and Lucy. She loves jigsaw puzzles, animals, rock music, and all flavors of birthday cake.