A Dose of Hope



“I’m losing hope,” my friend lamented. 

It was understandable—she’d been taking online college courses, working full time as a cashier, and between child care costs and rent, there wasn’t any money to pay for a car repair. 

In a time when money problems are prevalent, and you’re working hard for something you don’t yet have, hope can take a beating.




 I remember Grandma’s hope. She never talked about her divorce, but I do remember her telling me about the ice-cream shop. 

When she needed a job to make it on her own, Mr. Shubert gave her a chance. 

She rose at 4 am to mix cream and sugar and operate the hand cranks that churned fresh ice cream. 

By the time customers would wander in, Grandma had been at work for six hours. What gave her hope?

Oh, she’d often tell me what gave her hope. While she was doing all she could to provide for her son, she wasn’t the only one working. God was too. She was waiting on God for what was next. 




 Her faith gave her hope to cope with life’s problems. Just as it is now, life wasn’t easy for a single mom in the 1930’s. And waiting for better days took years.


Hope means waiting expectantly for what isn’t available today. If we need a dose of hope, look to those who keep working while they wait. Most important, putting our hope in God gives us the assurance that we aren’t working alone. 
And my friend? She made it through another college quarter, car repair, is closer to her goals, and even closer to the One who gives her a daily dose of hope.


Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Psalm 62:5


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