Photo by Cherry Laithang on Unsplash
Tragedy Off The Coast Of Massachusetts
December 17, 1927 was a tragic day in American history. An S-4 submarine was conducting routine drills off the coast of Massachusetts. The submarine was attempting to surface when it was struck by a U.S. Coast Guard destroyer. The destroyer punched about a 30 inch hole in the submarine which caused the vessel to begin to sink in 110 feet of water.
Most of the crew secured themselves behind watertight doors. A handful of men made their way to the torpedo room to hunker down. From there they did their best to communicate with anyone that would be able to help them.
While crews worked diligently on the surface to free the sailors from their underwater prison, divers were sent into the water to see what options they may have. While underwater, one of the divers heard tapping that was determined to be Morse code. The sailors inside the torpedo room kept repeating the same question, “Is… there… any…hope…?”
The Power Of Hope
For the individuals on that submarine, hope for them, was the difference between life and death. They were clinging to the hope that a rescue attempt was under way. They were holding to the hope that the folks up top would find a way to resurface the ship or find a way inside.
Hope gives us the power to keep moving, to keep fighting, to stay committed, to put one foot in front of the other. Hope gives us a quiet confidence to believe that our circumstances can or will change.
A person without hope lives in defeat. They cannot see beyond their current circumstances and see no point in continuing to try. They, more often than not, give up. They become passive in their behavior, they leave their outcome up to chance, and their mind concedes defeat.
When we step back and look at the lives of the people around us, or perhaps in our own lives, we see that hope has the power to change everything. It may not be the difference between life and death, as it was for the sailors on the submarine, but the outcomes of our decisions drastically alter our future.
For the marriage in conflict, hope may be the difference in divorce or choosing to work through difficult circumstances.
For the teenager that feels detached from the rest of humanity, hope may be the difference between suicide or reaching out to be heard one more time.
For the pregnant mother, with no money and no father in the picture, hope may be the difference between abortion or deciding to raise her child against the odds.
For the Christian who suffers for their faith, hope may be the difference between perseverance and courage or selling out for something of lesser value.
Two Truths About Hope
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Hope allows us to see past our current circumstances. Hope allows us to see a different future. One where our current circumstances are not the leading headlines. We have all felt the weight of reality, when we have been dealt the ugly truth, that there was no hope our circumstances would change.
To use the examples given above, the spouse that cannot see a future without hurt and betrayal in their marriage, will ultimately give up and move on to the next relationship. For the teenager that cannot see past the pain of being bullied; that cannot imagine a future time where they are strong and confident, they can lose the will to go on living. For the mother, that cannot pay the bills and is barely surviving herself, it can be hard to see a future where she has prospered and is able to feed, clothe, and house another person. This can lead to a choice to abort her child.
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Hope requires us to be patient. If our circumstances are strong enough to have us in the throws of despair, chances are, they will not change overnight. We will need to be patient as God works out the details of our circumstances.
Again, to use the examples given above, the spouse that can see and imagine a future where there is forgiveness for the hurt and betrayal in the relationship, will have to be patient to see lasting change take place. They will need to be patient while their spouse learns to be a different man or woman. For the teenager that hopes to overcome a bully, or shameful circumstances, they will have to be patient to allow time to heal them from the inside out. For the pregnant mother, she will have to take life one day at a time. Being patient enough to live in 24 hour increments so she isn’t overwhelmed with all the what ifs of tomorrow.
You Have The Power To Give Hope
You can be someone’s hope. You can invest in their circumstances and do for them, what they cannot do for themselves. For the person that is struggling financially, and cannot see past the end of the month when they will be short on many of their bills, you can be their hope. A free meal, a few bags of groceries, a gift card or some cash, or a paid utility bill, can be just what they need to believe things can be different. One simple act of kindness can be like oxygen to a person that is suffocating.
If there is someone in your sphere of influence that needs hope, do for them what you would want someone to do for you, if you were in similar circumstances. Just remember, doing something is always better than doing nothing. Even if you cannot meet their full need or solve their problem, just knowing that someone cares, speaks volumes.
Where Does Your Help Come From?
The divers that heard the Morse code coming from the submarine, ultimately had to respond. Their message back to the sailors was that there was no hope. To which the sailors responded that they understood.
No doubt that this was the moment they just gave up. All efforts that they had exerted up to this point were about survival. Once they realized there was no possibility of rescue, I dare say, they just gave up. I imagine they quit trying to survive and just accepted their circumstances.
If you are reading this, I want to speak into those moments when your life is falling apart. Whether you are experiencing one of the seasons of life now, or you are unknowingly headed for one, it is a reality for all of us. We live in a broken world and all of us suffer because of it. It is a part of our human condition.
In such times, I want encourage you to turn your heart towards God. Not so you can get what your heart desires, but because you need something that is constant and steady to trust in. Hear these words of the writer of Psalm 121:
I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from. My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
– Psalm 121:1 (NIV)
Help is the reality we hope for isn’t it? A yearning that someone or some thing will move our circumstances in a way that is beneficial to us. We cannot hope for any greater help, in our time of need, than that of the one who has put the universe in order. Whether today, tomorrow, next week, or next year, when things take a turn and you must deal with circumstances you did not ask for, turn your heart towards God. Ask for, and receive His help.
