The Upper Room Devotional – Saturday, July 13 Never Without Hope "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13 (NRSV) In my work as a nurse, I visit patients in their homes. Two years ago, in the summer, I went to a house where both mother and son were terminally ill. They knew that they would never get better, but in this wonderfully bright home I was met with kindness and smiles. We talked and laughed for a long time. There were no sad faces there; instead there was hope. The son could no longer get out of bed; he was 19 years old and could hardly move his hands and feet. Yet from his sick bed, he was taking school exams and dreamed of going to college. He died late one Sunday evening at the end of October. It was cold outside. When he took his last breath, a butterfly appeared in the room. I was really surprised to see it; after all, you don’t normally see butterflies in the fall. The butterfly reminded me that even in the most difficult moments we have hope. When he died, his textbooks still lay on the bedside table. He had continued hoping to get better and to go to college. Six weeks later his mother died. I no longer go to that home; but every time I walk past it or see a butterfly, my heart is filled with hope and gratitude for God’s gift of love and eternal life. Elena Kalashnikova (Pskov, Russia) Thought for the Day: Spend time visiting homebound members of your church. God is never too far away to comfort us. Prayer: Dear God, help us never to lose hope but to trust in you forever. Amen.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 11:58:33 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015