But Those Who Hope In The Lord Will Renew Their Strength by Sally M. Laylo

Hope, a very strong and encouraging word, strong and encouraging in a sense that it helps people to go on with their lives in spite of all the difficulties, trials, challenges, losses, and failures in life. Hopeless, on the other hand, is a very discouraging word. When a person loses hope he/she doesn’t find any reason to go on, to move on, thus, hopeless people ended up committing suicide.

One author says that every person is a combination of hope and discouragement. As I evaluate myself, I think I agree with that author. Like any other person, I tend to get discourage when I face difficulties in life and all sort of problems. However, it’s really good to know that there is the Lord our God, the source of hope, and that the Lord knows everything that’s going on in my life. The Lord has proven Lord’s self to be faithful not only in my life but also the lives of those who hope in the Lord, specifically in the life of my friend, Sophia.

Sophia was born in a poor family. She’s the third child of the seven children of her parents. Due to poverty, she needed to work while studying. After she had finished her college, her boyfriend asked her to get married, but since her two brothers and sisters were depending on her to be able to study, she decided to break up wit her boyfriend instead of marrying him. It really hurt her, but she just put her hope in the Lord for her to be able to move on.

After several years, she got a new boyfriend. She really loved him that she gave all the things that she could able to give him, including the totality of herself. Yet, one day, she was just informed that her new boyfriend was getting married to his former girlfriend. That day, she thought she would never fall in love again because she was already scared that she would just be hurt again.

Then, Andy came to her life. After being boyfriend and girlfriend for more than two years, they decided to get married. However, on the day of their wedding, Andy was rushed into the hospital and he decided not to marry Sophia anymore. Sophia tried to convince him to marry her because that time she was already pregnant, but, she wasn’t able to convince him.

Some people advised Sophia just to abort the baby. However, Sophia just put her hope in the Lord and decided to let the baby be born. She worked hard to support the child, with all the embarrassment, pressures and difficulties of being a single-parent.

Five years later, Sophia met Adonis who was willing to marry her even though she already had a son. They got married and things got better. However, after more than two years, Adonis got sick and after some months in the hospital he died.

After the funeral, as Sophia was crying in my shoulder, I really struggled to have the right words to tell her, to comfort her, and to give her at least a glimpse of hope. That time I prayed to the Lord to give me the right and hopeful words to tell her, and the Lord did. The words that “the Lord will take care of you and your son, just continue to hope in the Lord,” were the same words that she told me the last time we met after the death of her husband. She told me that those words really matter to her and had helped her a lot to go on and be able to survive, and be courageous enough to be ready to face the trials that might come her way again.

Today, Sophia is working as one of the city counselors in our place. She has a successful business and is a proud mother of her smart and talented son. When I met her son, He recited to me his mother and his own favorite memory verse: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31-

Miss Rosalyn “Sally” M. Laylo
Quezon City, Phillippines
[email protected]

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