The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18, NIV

I recently attended a LIFT Gathering in Florida. Sitting right next to me was Sandy, a precious educator who had recently experienced the deaths of four members of her family, including her young adult daughter who died from cancer, along with her 8-month gestation grandbaby who tragically couldn’t survive her mom’s sickness. As she watched her surviving children walk away from Jesus, no doubt partly in response to these terrible tragedies, Sandy confessed to all of us at the table that she wasn’t even sure she was a Christian anymore. 

Honestly, despite experiencing God’s faithfulness in my own trials, including losing a son, I was shaken by her story and her depth of despair. I thought, Why, God? 

Yet Sandy showed up that night, and let my wife and me share our story and pray for her. Her presence was evidence that she still retained a measure of hope. I know from experience that God can work with that because His specialty is redeeming seemingly hopeless stories as we take steps toward Him.

When my wife was diagnosed with aggressive cancer shortly after our daughter Joy was born in 2005, it would eventually mean the end of our opportunity to have more children naturally. But the following year, the Holy Spirit whispered to my wife during prayer that she would have another child—a girl named “Hope.” 

Was that really Him? Or was it just grief latching on to her imagination? 

Years went by, and “Hope” didn’t show. We thought, Where are you, God? We wondered if we should aggressively pursue adoption or fostering. Or was that akin to Abraham and Sarah famously trying to “help” God by having a son through Hagar? 

But shockingly, in 2021, a couple receiving ministry from our church had a baby girl born in extremely challenging circumstances, and we were asked to consider being her foster parents. When my wife asked about the name, she learned there wasn’t one. She responded, “Then I’ll be praying for Baby Hope!” And the name stuck. Hope was legally adopted into our family over two and a half years later (along with her little brother Nathan, whose crazy God story will require a separate devotional). 

We waited 15 years for Hope, and despite our more advanced years, she (and her little brother) has brought us so much joy. We now have a front row seat to watch God redeem her circumstances, just as he has redeemed ours. And I pray that one day I will get to hear the rest of Sandy’s story as well, and we can testify to his faithfulness together.  

Lord, You said while on earth that in this world we will have trouble, but to take heart, as You have overcome the world. As a result, we don’t look to our circumstances in this life as our source of hope, but rather we look to Your loving redemption in both this life and the next. Keep our eyes fixed on You, and teach us to lean deeper into You when hope feels distant. You are the God of all hope. Amen.  

Copyright David Schmus. 

David is the Executive Director of Christian Educators.