God uses our pain to help us find Him
as our hope and share that hope with others.

I was born into a pastor’s home. Because I was a pastor’s kid, I
spent most of my childhood in church and around Christianity.
This early introduction and heavy exposure to Christianity caused me to
see my need for forgiveness of my sins, and I wanted to be saved for
myself. So at the age of 7, I chose to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior.
Accepting that gift at such an early age is a blessing, and I am thankful
for the opportunity to be exposed to the Gospel at such a young age. As I
got older, though, I developed my relationship with Christ in a deeper,
more real, and personal way.

Although I was born into the home of a pastor, a family rich in
Christianity, I lived in a broken home. As I got older, my parent’s
marital issues became more apparent to me. The occasional fights and
consistent overall abnormalities of my early childhood, stemming
primarily from the sin that was present in my dad’s life, robbed me of
a proper relationship with my father and inflicted pain in my life and the
lives of my family. When I was 12 years old, my dad physically left our
home. After that event, the deep hurt that comes from an absent father
and divorcing parents really began to form in my life; but, that same
deep hurt was my introduction to experiencing the fullness of who God
is.

The events that I faced left me with many questions. I was unsure
of what to do or where to go next. On my own, I had no hope. Nothing
that I did to try and “fix” the pain ever worked. Fortunately, God knew
where I was and He showed up in my life. Over and over again, He
provided for me and my Mom, which helped my faith in Him grow
even in our times of desperation. My faith began to grow, but I was still
hurting from what had happened in my family.

Escaping that pain felt impossible. I carried the burdens of my
situation with me each day. The good days never felt that good;
something was always wrong. The bad days were amplified and made
even worse. I became hopeless. There was nothing that seemed worth
living for. My pain had no purpose until I started humbling myself
before the Lord. I had to let go of what I wished could be in order to see
what God was doing through my pain.

Once I allowed God into my grief, I began to find my hope and
rest in who He was and what He did. Jesus Christ, being God, became
man and suffered grief as I have experienced. Furthermore, He died for
me and rose again. The resurrection of Christ is the basis of my hope.
John 16:33 says: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye
might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good
cheer; I have overcome the world.” Because He rose once more, he
conquered all that this world has. Death is the fate of us all, but Jesus
defeated it and gave us the opportunity to beat it as well. That is my
hope, and it is also my purpose. God uses our pain to help us find Him
as our hope and share that hope with others.

Once I allowed God into my grief, I began to find my hope and rest in who He was and what He did.

There is nothing else in this world that can provide a hopeless
person with purposeful hope. Only through a God that has overcome the
world can we find that. Without embracing the gift of salvation and hope
found in God, I would be drowning in hopelessness. He has given me
“new life,” and He can do it for you.